


Bucky Barnes Goes to School

by PlanetClare



Series: The Assassin and the Thief [3]
Category: Gambit (Comic), James "Bucky" Barnes - Fandom, Marvel (Comics), Winter Soldier (Comics), X-Men, X-Men (Comicverse), remy lebeau - Fandom, winterwidow - Fandom
Genre: Action, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Cats, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Buddy Story, Conflict, Cybernetics, Empathy, Gen, Humor, Jean Grey School, Love, Man Out of Time, Mutants, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Protective Bucky Barnes, Sensory Deprivation, Separation Anxiety, Supportive Gambit, Sébastien the Cat - Freeform, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, X-Men References, X-men Inspired, sex therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 07:47:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4556526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetClare/pseuds/PlanetClare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bucky returned to New York following the events in “House of Celestial Dreams,” he soon realized that his homecoming was not what he hoped it would be. Deciding to take Remy LeBeau up on his invitation, Bucky travels to Jean Grey’s School for Higher Learning to visit his Cajun friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Blowup

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to my sister Daria for her love of Gambit and her unwavering support of my writing. I also dedicate it to our Cajun-Creole mother who was a gifted musician and teacher who believed in the importance of education. Finally, I dedicate it to my dear friend Janice who reads everything I throw at her and offers unending support. Much appreciated, Janice! (Please excuse the steamy first chapter.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky receives bad news.

With his long, dark hair spilling over his pillow, Bucky lay on his back staring at the ceiling. He was fuming mad, and his manhood was still throbbing and wet from the interruption of Natasha’s usual morning ride.

He was so angry that he had abruptly lifter her off of him and roughly dumped her on the bed next to him. When he uncloaked his cybernetic arm, it signaled that he did not wish to finish their morning lovemaking.

“You waited until I was inside you to give me this news?” he barked refusing to look at her.

“I’m sorry, James,” she said with her eyes tightly shut. “I thought it would make the news easier for you to take,” she confessed.

“Nat, we haven’t seen each other in almost two weeks, and NOW you tell me you have to leave again. You KNOW I have separation anxiety. I don’t know how much more of this I can take!” said Bucky on the verge of tears. 

She rolled over to face him. “It’s just a short mission, James. I should only be gone a few days,” Natasha pled as she gently stroked his smooth, muscular chest.

Bucky continued to sulk as he lay staring at the ceiling in silence.

Suddenly, they felt Sébastien walking on the bed from its foot toward the pillows. He climbed onto Bucky’s chest and lay there licking his neck.

Stroking the kitten’s back, he finally broke the silence.

“Why can’t you quit the Avengers, Natasha?” he asked.

Taken aback, she queried, “How can you of all people ask me that, James?”

Frantic and desperately trying to find a solution, Bucky suggested, “You could quit and work with me! You’re the best Black Widow the Soviets ever produced, and you’re still at the top of your game. We were great together and could be again.”

Shocked, Natasha sat up and stared at him with her green eyes piercing him like daggers.

“I made a commitment,” she sneered. “Do you honestly expect me to go back on my word? Who would trust me? No, James – not even for you!” she declared.

That wounded Bucky like a knife through his heart.

“But we’d be together, Nat!” he insisted as he started to cry.

“That ‘lone wolf,’ freelance life suits you because you’re the best in the world and you think you can’t do anything else, but that life’s not for me – not anymore,” she argued.

“But Nat –” he began.

“I’m part of a team now, and my team is counting on me. You need to deal with it!” she yelled as she threw off the covers, got out of bed, and stomped naked toward the bathroom.

When she slammed the door, it made Sébastien flinch but not Bucky.

Looking down at the purring kitten on his chest, Bucky sighed and said with a heavy heart, “Welcome to our happy home, little guy. You better get used to this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky’s arm is equipped with a sensory array which in part makes his cybernetic arm look and feel like a biological arm. It has a jamming device which shields it from metal detectors and when x-rayed, it projects the image of skeletal structure.
> 
> © 2015 Planet Press  
> All characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights.


	2. The Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky travels to Jean Grey’s School for Higher Learning.

After his argument with Natasha about her latest mission, Bucky decided to take Remy LeBeau up on his invitation to visit him at Jean Grey’s School for Higher Learning. It offered him a chance to see his friend teach the school’s mutant youth as well as something to do while Natasha was out of town again.                      

On campus, the news spread like wildfire that the Winter Soldier would be visiting. A few of the students overheard their principal, Ororo Munroe (codename: Storm), tell a few of the teachers that Bucky would be arriving soon and to prepare accommodations for him. Other students heard her advise Deathlok, the school’s head of security, to keep a close eye on him while he was there. The faculty did not fully trust him, so Storm did not want any ‘unfortunate incidents’ to occur during his stay.

Summoning Remy to her office, Storm decided to set some ground rules. She sat behind the desk once used by her predecessors, Professor Charles Xavier and Jean Grey. Wearing black slacks and a black v-neck sweater over a collared white blouse, the regal principal reviewed lesson plans while she waited for her dear friend Remy to arrive.

Hearing a light knock on one of her office’s double doors, the principal bade him, “Enter.”

Wearing faded blue jeans, black biker boots, and a black New Orleans Saints sweatshirt with the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the Cajun looked nothing like the average teacher. As usual, his left eye was hidden by his nearly chin-length auburn bangs, which made him appear more like a student than a member of the faculty.

“You wanted to –” he began.

“You’re late, Gambit,” she advised him not looking up from her paperwork.

“Uh...you said 10:00, and it’s only 10:01,” the Cajun informed his longtime friend.

“Precisely,” she said giving him her full attention. “That means you’re late. Have a seat.”

Smiling wryly as he sat across the desk from her, Remy asked, “Oh, are we in principal mode, Stormy?” thinking he could charm her with wit.

“Yes, during school hours, ‘we’ are definitely in principal mode, and I have asked you repeatedly to not call me ‘Stormy’ – especially not in front of the children.’”

“Oh, like dem kids care,” he countered dismissively. “All right, ma chère. What’s this _really_ about? We’re like brother and sister, so I know when you’ve got something on your mind,” he replied.

“Gambit, I feel it is only fair to let you know that I am not happy with your decision to invite the Winter Soldier to the school. You should have consulted me first. Instead, I heard it from Nightcrawler over breakfast,” she scolded. “What were you thinking? We have no idea what you could potentially expose the children to.”

 _“‘Expose’?”_ Remy asked. “You make it sound like he’s a maniac or got some sort of infectious disease!”

Bristling at his remark, the headmistress replied, “As I recall, my notes state that Nick Fury once described him as – and I quote – ‘a walking weapon with a history of waking up on the wrong side of the bed.’ Need I emphasize that this is the description of a _friend_ of his?”

“Look, darlin’, I’ve spent time with the man and feel like I know him pretty well. He’s not like dat. He’s like me – misunderstood. I vouch for him. Besides, he’s already on his way. Just give him a chance,” the Cajun pleaded.

Storm’s light blue eyes stared into his red right one as the two friends allowed a long silence to pass between them. Finally speaking, she rendered her decision.

“These children are our responsibility, Gambit. We’re here to teach them as well as protect them. Should any harm come to them as a result of this visit, I shall hold you personally responsible,” she decreed. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Of course, Stormy!” he chirped happily.

She glared at him from across the desk and advised, “Close the doors on your way out.”

“Yes, ma’am!” he said as he rose and walked to the double doors. “By the way...I like your hair cut,” he remarked about her newly shorn white coif as he tried to lighten the mood.

As the principal blankly stared at him, he could tell that the compliment did not have its desired effect. The temperature in the room began to fall, and the irises of her eyes were changing from blue to white as her power to control the weather manifested.

Closing the doors behind him, Remy strolled down the hall toward the school’s garage where he had been teaching Shop class when he was summoned by Storm. Wisely, he decided that keeping a lower profile the rest of the day was a good idea.

 *  *  *  *  *  *

Two miles from the school, a drone appeared above Bucky as he rode the borrowed Harley toward Jean Grey’s School for Higher Learning. The school was protected by a hologram which made it appear to be an abandoned factory in the middle of numerous acres of empty land near Westchester, New York. Certain that Remy’s directions were correct, the assassin proceeded toward what looked like a derelict old building.

Sending facial recognition information to the school’s security system, the drone followed him as he advanced on the campus. If her were on a mission, Bucky could have easily taken down the drone with either an electromagnetic blast from his cybernetic arm or one shot from a handy pistol, but he was unarmed and knew that the pesky drone was a necessary part of the school’s protection.

When he reached the front gates, Bucky dismounted the bike and stood on the gravel driveway next to it so that any other surveillance cameras had him in full view. After a moment of waiting, the iron gates slowly creaked open, and he was allowed to walk the bike onto the grounds.

Turning the Harley to the right, he again straddled it and slowly rode it toward the campus garage. There, he found Remy teaching a few of the kids how to change the oil of a car.

At the sound of the motorcycle’s engine, Remy knew his buddy had arrived.

“Hello, James! Bienvenue! It’s so good to see you,” he yelled as the assassin parked the bike next to the car that the mutant was using for instruction.

Dismounting, Bucky walked over and the two friends hugged.

“I’m glad to see you, too!” he said. “I didn’t think it would be this soon, but such is life, right?”

Remy shrugged and replied, “Well, your girlfriend’s loss is our gain! Let me help you with your things.”

Noticing the pet carrier strapped to the bitch seat, Remy cooed, “Hello, Sébastien! You miss me?”

The black kitten hissed at him and gave him a menacing stare.

“Yeah, I see dat you _did,_ you little rascal, you!” remarked Remy. “Man, the devil ain’t comin’ outta dat one any time soon, is he?” he said to Bucky.

“Oh he’s just a little frazzled from the trip. He’s good as gold,” he declared.

“Are you the Winter Soldier?” one of the students asked excitedly.

“You’re Bucky Barnes, aren’t you? Is it true that you date the Black Widow?” asked another.

“Okay, now! Let’s get back to work. Dat oil ain’t gonna change itself. There’ll be plenty enough time for a meet and greet later,” Remy advised.

Taking Bucky’s duffle bag, he said, “Come on, James. I’ll show you to your room.”

Bucky picked up Sébastien’s carrier and followed Remy to the main building. Inside, he was impressed by the stylish décor and vastness of the school.

As they reached the grand staircase, the two men noticed small groups of students standing around staring at Bucky and whispering.

“All right now! Let’s get to class. No milling around in the hallways,” ordered Remy.

Climbing the stairs, Bucky said, “Wow...You sound so authoritative.”

“This is a school, James. Kids need guidance and a firm hand,” he said with a wink.

“Still, it’s a bit of a change from New Orleans,” laughed Bucky.

Lowering his voice, Remy said, “What happens in Nawlins stays in Nawlins, mon ami.”

When they reached the second floor, Remy pointed to an open door and said, “Welcome to Jean Grey’s School, Sergeant. This is your room; mine is across the hall.”

Setting the pet carrier on the desk, Bucky looked around and smiled as Remy placed his duffle bag on the bed. The window offered a beautiful view of the surrounding grounds, and the spacious room was almost larger than Bucky’s entire cramped apartment.

“Thank you, Remy!” he said and gave his friend a hug.

“No worries, man. I know you and Natasha are going through a rough patch right now. Sometimes it’s good to just get away and think things through. When you’re ready, come down to the garage and get me. We’ll have lunch,” he offered.

“Thanks. I will!" said Bucky.

*  *  *  *  *  * 

After he unpacked and poured food and water for Sébastien, Bucky walked down the stairs on his way to the garage. He sensed that there was someone behind him and turning, he saw three teenage girls following him. Each time he turned to look at them, they stopped and pretended to be simply chatting among themselves or looking at a trophy case. They blushed and giggled but maintained their pursuit of the dark, handsome stranger in the jeans and black motorcycle jacket.

As he reached the garage, Bucky saw Remy walking toward him.

“Ah! There you are, James. We just wrapped up for lunch. Come on and I’ll show you where the dining room is,” said Remy.

“Say, who are those girls?” he asked quietly.

“Just some of the students. They’ll follow you everywhere, so get used to it,” he laughed.

“Ladies! Break it up and go to lunch now,” advised Jubilation Lee as she stood outside the dining hall entrance.

“My friend here already has a fan club, Jube,” Remy said as the two men approached the thin, attractive brunette.

“That ‘fan club’ is more like an escort detail,” she replied. “Hi! I’m Jubilee,” she said extending her right hand to Bucky.

“Nice to meet you. I’m –”

“Everyone knows who _you_ are, soldier,” she quipped. “Better get in there fast. Today, they’re serving vegetarian flatbread pizza, and the kids are wolfing it down faster than the cook can cut it!”

“Into the fray we go!” suggested Bucky.

Helping himself to a large serving of mixed salad and two slices of veggie pizza, Bucky selected a table in the corner of the dining hall because it was still his habit to shy from human interaction.

Sitting next to him, Remy asked, “Why are we sittin’ in the corner, James?”

He thought for a moment and quietly answered, “I don’t know. As the Winter Soldier, I was sensory deprived in cryostasis for decades, and I guess it left me with a few eccentricities.”

Picking at his salad, he continued. “You’d think that I would crave human contact. I _do,_ but I just can’t seem to make myself initiate it most of the time. It’s like I forgot how.” 

Speaking even quieter, he added, “You see, there’s a dual reason why Natasha and I are so sexually active. We’re hot for each other, but she also uses sex as sensory therapy for me. She always initiates it because as I said, she prefers to be in control.”

As always, Remy listened to Bucky intently without interrupting him. A hopeless romantic, Remy felt sympathy for his friend.

“Maybe you just need a little blue pill,” the Cajun suggested.

“No, it’s not that I _can’t_ do it. It’s that after all that time in cryosleep, I’m still not used to human contact. So, if she doesn’t initiate intimacy, it often doesn’t occur to me.”

Remy did not know what to say, but after a few moments of thought, he said, “I think Natasha might be on to something. So, we’re gonna have human interaction.”

“What do you mean?” a confused Bucky asked.

Standing and picking up his tray, Remy declared, “This ain’t Hogwarts. Here, we sit with the kids.”

Spying a table near the center of the room, Remy walked over and sat down. He looked back and motioned for his friend to join him.

Picking up his food tray, Bucky joined him but felt self-conscious as all eyes in the hall were on him, so he sat with his head titled slightly downward so that his hair obscured his face.

Curious, a young girl asked, “Are you the Winter Soldier?”

Without looking up, Bucky mumbled, “I am...I mean...I was…”

A boy wearing a Punisher t-shirt asked, “Are you really dating the Black Widow? She’s so hot! Can you get me her autograph?”

Bucky nervously picked at his food while girls swooned all around him.

Seeing how uncomfortable he was, Remy felt guilty for making his friend move. He decided it was time to give Bucky a little peace.

“Okay, who here’s gonna stay to help with the washin’ up?” he asked.

The dining hall fell silent for a moment, and then there was a mass exodus with some kids leaving their trays and plates on the tables.

“Bye, Gambit!” two of the students yelled as they ran for the door. The few who stayed were the ones who had just arrived.

“Works every time,” laughed Remy.

As he relaxed and finally began to eat his meal, Bucky laughed to himself.

“What’s so funny, Sergeant?” asked the intrigued thief.

“I was just wondering what these kids would think if they saw what you were eating the other day – strawberry intimacy gel and vagina flavored ice cubes,” the assassin laughed.

“Sssshhhh!” cautioned Remy. “A gentleman doesn’t eat pussy and tell.”

“Will you stop saying that word, LeBeau,” Bucky scolded.

“Pussy pussy pussy!” taunted Remy.

The two men laughed uproariously until they looked over and saw the nearby Piotr “Peter” Rasputin (codename: Colossus) frowning at them. The young man stood 6 feet 7 inches tall and was as big as a mountain. He did not approve of the conversation he overheard.

“Perhaps comrade Winter Soldier is a bad influence on an already bad influence,” the massive young man chided.

“Aw, come on, Colossus. We’re just having a bit of fun, yeah,” replied the Cajun.

Continuing to frown, the young Siberian advised, “That conversation is not suitable for younger ears. Perhaps you are finished with your lunch, yes?”

Turning to Remy, Bucky joked, “I’d say that’s Russian for ‘here comes the bum’s rush,’ so on that note...”

The two friends stood, picked up their trays, and proceeded to the kitchen.

“I’ll wash. You dry,” suggested Bucky as he handed Remy a dish towel from a hook next to the sink.

After a moment, he asked his companion, “So, what’s up with him? Why so grumpy?”

“Oh, he’s just a serious kind of guy. He’s usually pretty even-keeled but like you and me, he’s a bit lovesick,” he said.

“Anyone I know?” asked Bucky.

“Kitty Pryde,” Remy said. “She’s with Peter Quill now.”

“Who?” he asked.

With air quotes, Remy replied, “Star-Lord.”

“Ooooh...” said Bucky.

“Humph! Calls himself a ‘thief!’ He’s an insult to our profession. The idea is to NOT get caught, but every time I hear about him, dat’s _exactly_ what he’s done. If you ask me, dat boy’s not playin’ with a full deck of cards!” the Cajun decided.

“So, you’ve never been caught?” asked Bucky with a wry smile.

Snatching a wet plate from his friend, Remy scolded, “Are we gonna wash dishes or talk?”

“I’m just making a point, my friend,” laughed Bucky.

Hanging up the dish towel, Remy said, “Come on! Let’s get out of here. I need to supervise the playground.”

 *  *  *  *  *  *

Bucky accompanied Remy as he slowly paced the grounds while some of the students used their recess to play dodgeball.

“Remember, kids – no powers!” he yelled particularly to a young speedster named Jason, who with his speed was throwing twice as many balls at the other kids than a ‘normal’ kid could.

“Yes, Gambit!” they all chirped.

“Hey, mind if I ask you something, pal?” Bucky queried.

“What’s on your mind, James?” inquired Remy.

“Why do you call me ‘James’ instead of ‘Bucky’?

“Well, you said your sister calls you ‘Jimmy’ and Natasha calls you ‘James,’ so...” Remy shrugged.

“That’s different,” he advised.

“Yeah? How so?”

“My sister was just a little kid when she started calling me ‘Jimmy,’ and Natasha is formal with everyone. It’s just her way,” Bucky said matter-of-factly.

“Well, I don’t know how to put this, but I can’t call you ‘Bucky,’” he confessed.

Bucky stopped walking and looked at Remy seriously.

“Why not?” he asked.

After a long pause, Remy uncomfortably replied, “It’s not an adult’s name, James.”

He gave it some thought and then replied, “People have called me by my nickname all my life. I’ve always told them to. If it makes you feel uncomfortable – no worries! I was just curious. That’s all.”

“I’m sorry if dat offends you, but you _did_ ask,” the Cajun smiled.

“Yes, I did,” replied Bucky.

As the two continued to slowly walk around the grounds supervising the kids at play, a young girl with lavender skin approached them.

“Excuse me, Gambit. Principal Munroe would like to see you,” she informed him.

“Hmm...” he replied. “Dat can’t be good. James, you stay here and –”

“She wants to see Winter Soldier, too,” interrupted the girl.

“Now, I _know_ dat ain’t good,” he said. “Thank you, Julie. We’ll go there directly,” said Remy as he led Bucky to the nearest entrance to the school.

*  *  *  *  *  *

When the two men arrived at Storm’s office, one of the double doors was already partially ajar.

Poking  his head in, Remy saw her standing with her back to him as she stared out the window at the plush, green school grounds.

He cleared his throat to let her know that the pair had arrived.

Turning to face them, she said, “Gentlemen, have a seat.”

Looking down at the chair in front of him, Remy joked, “I already sat in this one today. I’ll take the other one.”

Bucky looked confused but sat in the chair next to the one that Remy selected.

“I’m glad to see that you still have your sense of humor, Gambit,” she observed.

“Sorry, Stormy,” he said. “I’m still a little sore from our conversation this morning.”

Becoming annoyed, she replied, “Oh, so you remember it? If only it had actually made an impression on you.”

“Now, I’m _really_   confused,” remarked Bucky.

Explaining, Storm said, “This morning we had a little discussion about you, Mr. Barnes, and –”

“That’s ‘Sergeant Barnes,’” he interrupted. “I earned that title and suffered personal loss,” he said of his missing left arm. “No offense, but I’d appreciate it if you used it, ma’am.”

Staring at the war veteran for a moment, her tone softened as she said earnestly, “Of course, Sergeant. You have my sincerest apologies.”

Becoming stern again, she continued, “I must inform you that in our conversation this morning, I explained to Gambit that I did not appreciate his inviting you here without my prior consent. As principal of this school, I should have been consulted first.”

“I had no idea, ma’am, and I do apologize if my presence here has caused any inconvenience.”

“It has come to my attention, Sergeant that you and Remy have already been displaying some questionable behavior. I must remind you than there are many impressionable young minds here, so please be mindful of your words and actions during your stay,” she said.

“We just told a harmless joke – dat’s all,” the Cajun replied.

Stiffening, Storm advised him, “Gambit, do not push your luck.”

Turning to Bucky, she continued. “If I hear of any further incidents, I will have to ask you to leave, Sergeant. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the two men said in unison.

She looked scornfully at the two young men sitting before her. The left side of Remy’s face was hidden by his auburn bangs and likewise, Bucky’s long dark hair hid all but is piercing blue left eye.

“This place needs a barber,” she muttered to herself.

Exasperated, Storm urged, “Now, please go do something constructive today!”

Leaving the office, Bucky waited until the doors were shut and then said, “Thanks, pal. I think the last time I got called to the principal’s office was before the Great Stock Market Crash.”

Remy looked at him seriously and quietly said, “Pussy.”

The two laughed uncontrollably again as they continued down the hall.

When they heard Storm’s office doors open, they broke into a sprint and ran to the nearest empty classroom where they hid until they heard the doors close once again.

“What are you trying to do – get me kicked out of school?” Bucky joked.

“Oh, come on, James,” he said. “Live a little!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dem = them  
> Bienvenue = Welcome


	3. Ballers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky boosts a student’s self-esteem.

Returning to the school yard, Bucky and Gambit were passing the basketball court when they saw a small boy in black shorts and a green t-shirt. He was standing by himself throwing the ball at the hoop. He missed each time and was becoming frustrated.

Stopping to talk, Bucky asked, “Why are you out here by yourself, sport?”

The boy replied, “No one wants to play with me.”

“Why is that?” asked the soldier.

“They say I’m too short and too slow,” the sullen boy remarked.

There was something about him that reminded Bucky of his best friend Steve Rogers before he was transformed into Captain America.

Putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder, Bucky asked, “What’s your name, kid?”

“It’s Jared, sir,” he replied.

“Call me Bucky,” he advised.

Looking around, he spotted a few kids kicking a soccer ball not far from him. Bucky had an idea.

“Hey!” he yelled. “Who wants to get a game of 4-on-4?”

The kids stopped kicking the ball and stared at Bucky shocked that the Winter Soldier wanted to play ball with them. Leaving the ball on the grass, a few of the kids walked toward the basketball court.

“You wanna play?” Bucky asked them.

“With _you?_   Sure!” said one of the boys.

“I’ll play, too,” one of the girls said.

“Okay...so we’ve got the two of you,” replied Bucky.

Looking over in the other direction, he saw Colossus and Jubilee watching a few girls play volleyball.

“Hey! Any of you wanna play 4-on-4?”

“I’ll play!” said Jubilee. “Come on, Colossus.”

The two walked over followed by a few of the girls who abandoned their volleyball game.

Speaking to Jubilee, Bucky said, “Okay, it’s you and Colossus and those two...” he said pointing to the boy and girl who were playing soccer, “...versus Gambit, me, Jared, and her,” he said pointing to one of the volleyball girls.

“Okay, Winter Soldier. You’re on!” replied Jubilee.

“Actually, we need to go change our clothes,” Bucky suggested. “Gambit and I can’t play in these biker boots. We’ll be back here in ten minutes, okay?” he asked.

“Sure, but make it fast,” Jubilee remarked. “I don’t want to wait all day to kick your butts!”

“Oh, yeah?” asked Gambit. “You talk a lot of trash, petite. We’ll see if you can back it up in ten minutes,” he said as he and Bucky began to jog toward the school.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Ten minutes later, the assassin and the thief returned to the court and saw that a crowd had gathered. While they were changing into basketball shorts and athletic shoes, word had spread that the Winter Soldier was going to play ball, and there was a large group of girls who could not wait to see it.

“Skins versus shirts,” Remy suggested. “We’ll be skins,” he decided taking off his shirt and tossing it on the grass next to the court.

A few of the girls in the crowd squealed with joy at seeing Gambit’s thin yet muscular body.

“Wait! I have to take off my shirt, too?” the skittish Jared asked.

“Yeah, you do, but _she_ doesn’t,” Bucky replied pointing to the girl he picked for his team.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” he asked.

Looking into Bucky’s big blue eyes, she forgot it.

“It’s...uh...” the girl fumbled.

“Tell him your name, Ruby!” a helpful girl on the sidelines yelled.

“It’s Ruby, sir,” she mumbled.

“Well, Ruby, please keep your shirt on...and call me Bucky,” he replied with a wink.

“Do you even know how to play basketball?” Colossus asked Jubilee.

“Of course I do and with you on my team, this ought to be an easy slaughter,” she replied as they stepped onto the court.

“We’ll make this easy on you,” declared Bucky. “We’ll only use one hoop, so it’s less running for you. Don’t say we didn’t give you a break!” he warned.

“Just start the game, soldier,” she sneered.

“Oh, yeah...and no powers!” he declared.

“Easy for you to say with that arm, comrade,” sniped Colossus.

“No worries,” Bucky informed them. “I shoot right-handed.”

When Bucky removed his shirt, there was an audible gasp from the crowd. The definition of his six-pack abdominal muscles was enough to make some of the girls faint, but the size of his chest and biceps caused them all to swoon.

One girl turned to a friend next to her and said, “Daaaaaaammnn!” as they gazed at his Olympic level physique.

Her friend responded, “I don’t care _who_ wins as long as it’s a long game!”

Another girl was confused. “I thought he had a metal arm,” she wondered.

“It must be some kind of trick or he’s covering it,” a nearby boy replied not realizing that Bucky had activated his arm’s sensory array to cloak his prosthesis.

The assassin’s appearance was still breathtaking even with the appendage disguised.

After seeing the reaction that the Winter Soldier and Gambit received when they removed their shirts, Jared actually wanted to remove his as well, so he would be seen in the same light as the two strong men. Pulling off his t-shirt, he strutted around like the Strong Man at a carnival sideshow.

_“That’s_ the spirit!” Bucky yelled to him as the small boy dribbled the ball.

Holding up his right index finger, Bucky indicated to Jubilee that he wanted a minute with his team.

“What’s he up to?” she mumbled to herself.

“Okay, here’s the deal...I’ll mark Colossus. Remy, you take Jube. Ruby, you take the boy –”

“Luke. His name’s Luke,” she informed him.

“Right! You take Luke, and Jared, you’ve got the girl,” Bucky decided.

“Rachel? You want me to guard Rachel?” asked Jared. “She’s at least a foot taller than me!” the small boy despaired.

“Don’t worry about it. Gambit and I will handle her too. Just try to knock the ball away from her when you can,” he advised.

Turning to Jubilee, Bucky tossed her the ball.

“Because we’re nice guys, we’ll forego a coin toss and just give you the ball,” he said.

“That’s not so smart considering we’re gonna beat you!” she said as she caught the ball and bounced it to Colossus. “Game on!” she yelled.

Colossus dribbled the ball as he sprinted toward the hoop. Keeping pace with him, Bucky leapt into the air just as the ball left the huge man’s hand.

Blocking the shot, the assassin said, “Come on, big boy. Show me what you’ve got!”

“Talking trash already, comrade Winter Soldier?” the Russian man sneered.

“What can I say? I’m competitive,” he replied.

Gambit intercepted the ball and dribbled it past Jubilee who made a failed attempt at snatching it from him. Leaping into the air, he sent the ball sailing through the hoop.

“Nothin’ but net, mes amis!” he yelled as he high fived Bucky.

“How did that just happen?” asked Jubilee.

“Your ball,” Bucky cheerfully said as he bounced it to Jubilee.

The dirty look she gave him signaled that this was no longer a friendly game.

As she dribbled the ball toward the net, she ran past Jared who was unable to keep up with her. She aimed and let go a shot which had the perfect trajectory to give her team their first point.

At the last second, Gambit leapt in front of the net and tipped the ball just enough so that it hit the backboard but did not fall through the hoop.

Catching the ball, Bucky dunked it in, and he and Gambit high fived each other again.

“Hey! We agreed to ‘No powers,’ or did you forget that?” Jubilee yelled at the Cajun.

“Sorry, petite, but my agility is innate – not mutant,” Gambit laughed.

Standing at mid-court with her mouth agape, Jubilee balled her fists. She turned to Colossus and yelled, “Those rats hustled us! Now, they’re going down!”

Jubilee snatched the ball from Bucky and dribbled it past Ruby who did her best to stay with the older mutant. Each time she tried to pass the ball to Colossus, Ruby’s quick reflexes allowed her to impede Jubilee’s movement.

Finally, Ruby fell for a faked pass and when she did, Jubilee threw the ball to Rachel who was open and standing closer to the net.

Taking advantage of the height difference between herself and Jared, Rachel easily threw the ball over him to a waiting Colossus who dunked it into the hoop.

“Hmph! Not so clever now, are you, Gambit?” Jubilee snapped.

“The game young, petite. You haven’t won anything yet,” he advised.

Gambit retrieved the ball and dribbled it around the court until he saw a way to toss it to Jared, who was standing near the net.

“What do I do now?” he asked as he started to panic. He knew he couldn’t sink a shot, so he looked around for a teammate to hand off the ball.

He watched as Bucky ran around Colossus and headed toward him. He had to duck an attempt by Rachel to steal the ball from him but was able to toss it to Bucky who leapt into the air and slammed it through the net.

Jared and Bucky high fived as if that sequence of maneuvers was all planned.

Turning to the boy next to her, Jubilee asked, “Luke, are you _ever_ going to get into this game?”

“Well, Gambit and Winter Soldier are so fast,” he answered.

“Just go to the net and stay open for a pass!” she instructed him.

Colossus threw the ball to an awaiting Jubilee. She gave a nod to Luke to let him know that she was going to send the ball his way but just as she bounced it in his direction, Ruby intercepted it and took a mid-court shot which hit the backboard and then bounced on the rim of the hoop.

Everyone froze as the ball was suspended in air for a moment.

“Come on, baby,” Bucky whispered to himself as he wished the ball to drop into the net.

“Don’t you dare!” yelled Jubilee as she hoped it would fall off the rim and back onto the court.

The ball seemed to move in slow motion as it fell backwards through the net. The crowd erupted in a loud cheer as Ruby put her hands on her cheeks in sheer amazement.

“That’s my girl! She’s got game!” Bucky yelled as he ran over and hugged her.

Ruby felt momentarily uncomfortable about the sweaty assassin hugging her, but she quickly shrugged it off to get her head back into the game.

“Okay, I’m sick of these guys,” Jubilee told her team. “Now, it’s time to get nasty,” she said.

Rachel took the ball and dribbled it to center court. She passed it to Colossus who tried three times but couldn’t get a clean shot with Bucky jumping up and down in his face. He passed it to Jubilee who was not ready to receive the ball, so she fumbled it.

Seizing the opportunity, Bucky tried to snatch it from her, but Jubilee decided to get scrappy. While wrestling the ball from him, she accidentally hit the tiny button on the back of Bucky’s neck where it meets his left shoulder.

The crowd let out a collective gasp as the sensory array on his cybernetic prosthesis was deactivated and the appearance of flesh faded to reveal the metal arm. Emblazoned with a red star on its shoulder, it shined bright against the afternoon sun.

Shocked by the sudden transformation, Bucky momentarily lost his focus. It gave Jubilee all the time she needed to bounce the ball to Colossus who dunked it through the hoop.

“Thanks a lot, ‘Winter!’ We needed that,” Jubilee taunted.

“Sneaky. Okay. The game’s not over yet,” he reminded her.

Jogging past Ruby, Bucky whispered, “Get ready for a pass from Gambit!”

Ruby nodded quickly and kept her eyes on the Cajun no matter where he moved.

Bucky walked as he dribbled the ball to slow down the pace of the game. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jared was open. Bouncing the ball to him, Bucky jerked his head to the left to indicate that he should then pass it to Gambit who had just shaken free of Jubilee.

As Gambit dribbled past Colossus, he faked a shot at the net and instead threw the ball to Bucky who tossed it through the hoop.

The assassin and the thief high fived Ruby and Jared and then each other.

“High five again, soldier, and I’ll kick both of you in the nuts!” declared Jubilee. “That’s taunting.”

“Whoa! Nice mouth, Miss Lee. You’re not mad are you? You said we’d be ‘an easy slaughter.’ Not so much, eh?” countered Bucky.

Trying to regain her composure, Jubilee warned, “Just shut up and play the game!”

With so much excitement going on, no one noticed Julie the lavender girl approaching the crowd.

She reached the edge of the court but did not step onto it. Instead, she waited for Gambit to come close to where she stood. When he did, she called to him.

“Excuse me, Gambit,” she said.

“Oh, hey, Julie!” he said glancing at her quickly. “I’m kinda busy right now,” he remarked as he turned away.

“Principal Munroe wants to see you in her office,” the girl replied.

“Yeah, well I’ll be there as soon as I finish dis –” he began.

Interrupting him, Julie advised, “She wants to see you _now.”_

“Oh, man!” the Cajun exclaimed. “Time out! I’ll be back in five minutes,” he said to the other players.

“She wants Winter Soldier, too,” the little girl replied.

“Of _course_ she does,” Gambit mumbled. “Hey, James! Come with me,” he yelled to his teammate.

Bucky was confused but did not protest. The two men picked up their shirts and walked to the nearest school door.

Behind them, they could hear Jubilee calling.

“Hey, boys! Should we continue without you, or do you forfeit the game?”

She decided it was time to be quiet when she saw the dirty looks they gave her over their shoulders.

“Come on, kids. Let’s get inside and get some homework done,” she advised.

“Do we have to?” asked Ruby who was not ready to stop playing.

“I’m afraid so,” Jubliee replied.

Pulling on his shirt, Jared asked, “So who won the game?”

Jubilee laughed and said, “We’ll call it a draw.”                  

*  *  *  *  *  *

Inside Principal Munroe’s office, Bucky and Remy braced themselves for another tongue lashing, and Storm did not disappoint.

“Would one of you please explain to me what you were doing out there half naked in front of the students?” she demanded.

“Well, to be honest, ma’am, we were just shirtless – not naked,” Bucky corrected her.

“That’s still half, Winter Soldier!” she insisted.

Speaking up, Gambit said cheerfully, “Now, Stormy, calm down. We were playing basketball – skins versus shirts. You can’t play dat without someone being skins. We were _skins!”_

“I think you’ve once again displayed poor judgment when it comes to the students,” she said.

“It’s my fault,” confessed Bucky. “No one would play with Jared, so I just wanted to get some of the kids to interact with him to cheer him up. I wasn’t thinking about the shirts issue, ma’am.”

In considering his answer, Storm thought for a few moments as she looked from Gambit to Bucky and back again.

“You have good intentions, Sergeant Barnes,” she began. “However, I need you to be mindful that virtually all of our students have reached the age of puberty. That’s what triggers their mutant powers to manifest. As you know, teenagers have raging hormones, so we don’t need to add fuel to the fire by having half naked guests on the grounds.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking, ma’am,” he replied.

“Please _do_ in the future,” she said.

As the two men rose and walked toward the doors, Storm added a final comment.

“Sergeant?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Thank you for your act of kindness toward Jared. He’s small for his age and has had trouble making friends.”

“My pleasure, ma’am.”

*  *  *  *  *  *

Walking down the hallway, Gambit remarked, “Well, dat wasn’t too bad. This time Stormy left some paint on the wall.”

“At first, I thought she was mean. Now, I realize that she just cares a lot about these kids,” assessed Bucky.

“Yes, she does,” agreed the Cajun.

As they reached the stairs, the two men were stopped by the school’s cook.

“Hey, Janice! How are you?” Gambit asked.

“I’m doing well, thank you,” replied the attractive middle-aged woman with upswept brown hair. She was of average height and weight with green eyes like that of a feline.

Introducing them, Gambit said, “Janice, this is my friend James. He’s the houseguest dat I’m sure you’ve heard about.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about you, all right – most recently from my son, Jared,” she said.

“Jared is your son?” Bucky asked. “I wasn’t told. He’s a great kid, Janice. It’s a pleasure meeting both of you!” he said as they shook hands.

“No, the pleasure is mine! Jared just told me how you played ball with him, and I’ve never seen him so happy and animated before. There are no words to thank you for what you did, so let me do this: I’m already working on dinner for today but tomorrow, I’ll cook anything you want. You name it, and I’ll make it especially for you!” the grateful mother said.

Blushing, Bucky replied, “That’s so sweet of you, Janice. Let me give it some thought, and I’ll let you know at dinner tonight.”

“Very well, then. Now, don’t forget!” she chirped as she returned to the kitchen.

Jabbing Gambit in the ribs with his right elbow, Bucky asked, “Why didn’t you tell me that Jared’s mom is the school cook?”

“You didn’t ask me,” replied Gambit with a shrug.

“Hilarious,” the assassin deadpanned. “So, Janice is a mutant but Jared isn’t?” he asked.

“We won’t know that until he hits puberty in about a year or so. If he is, his power will manifest itself. If he’s not...” Gambit casually shrugged.  

Bucky considered this for a moment and then remembered that they needed to get showered. Turning to the stairs again, he said, “Come on. Let’s go get washed up.”

As the pair climbed the grand staircase, they overheard a few girls coming down the hallway below.

“Hey, Ruby! If I were you, I’d never wash that shirt. You’ve got the Winter Soldier’s sweat on it!” one girl said.

“I still can’t believe that he actually hugged me!” Ruby cooed. It’s like a dream come true!”

“You’re so lucky,” chirped another girl.

Bucky and Gambit looked at each other with mouths agape.

“Looks like you’re causing quite a sensation, ‘Romeo,’” Gambit joked.

Laughing, Bucky said, “You know how young girls are. She’ll have forgotten all about me in the morning.”

“We’ll see about dat,” said the Cajun.

*  *  *  *  *  *

After a quick wash in the communal men’s shower, Bucky and Gambit went to their respective rooms. Meanwhile, the students did homework or socialized while they waited for dinner to be prepared.

“How was your day, little man?” Bucky asked Sébastien as he scratched the kitten’s head. He checked his bowl and saw that the kitten had eaten most of his food and drank almost all of his water.

“Looks like you have an appetite. That’s always a good sign. I guess it’s too early for you to be homesick,” he said.

Bucky debated whether or not he should check to see if Natasha had left him any messages. He found it to be quite the dilemma: If he checked and there were no messages, he would be upset that she’s either too busy or angry with him. If he checked and there _were_ messages, he did not know if he should answer them since he was still annoyed that she was away on another mission.

He lay on his back on the bed in a white t-shirt and jeans. His feet were bare displaying his Greek toes which Natasha found so irresistibly attractive. With his legs crossed at the ankles, Bucky held Sébastien in his bionic left hand as he stared at his cell phone in his right.

“Should I check or not?” he asked the kitten who was resting his head on Bucky’s stomach.

Ten minutes passed, but he still had not come to a decision. So, Bucky put the phone on his nightstand and decided to take a nap to clear his mind.

“Perhaps there’ll be a message later if there isn’t one now,’ he thought.

Closing his eyes, he drifted into a restful sleep where he dreamed that everything was good between Natasha and himself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> petite = little one  
> mes amis = my friends  
> dat = that  
> The line “This time Stormy left some paint on the wall” refers to the saying that someone became so angry that he screamed the paint off the wall.


	4. A Great Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky suggests a school activity.

At 5:00, Bucky was awakened by the sound of teens running down the hallway. It was dinner time, and the kids did not want to miss out on Janice’s popular roasted chicken with broccoli spears.

Sitting up in bed, he saw that little Sébastien was still asleep next to him but as he stirred, the kitten awoke.

There was a knock at the door, so Bucky rose to answer it.

“Hi, Bucky!” Jared said.

“Oh, hey, Jared. What’s up?” he asked as he stretched and scratched his head.

“It’s dinner time, and my mom says you’re to bring your cat with you,” he instructed.

“My cat?” asked Bucky. “Okay…” he said with a shrug.

“See you down there!” the teen said as he walked toward the stairs.

“Hmm...I wonder why Janice wants to see you,” Bucky said to Sébastien as he sat licking his front left paw. “Well, there’s only one way to find out,” he decided.

Closing his door, he turned to check his cell phone for messages and suddenly heard Zydeco music coming from Remy’s room across the hall.

Looking down at Sébastien, he laughed and said, “Well, your Uncle Remy is obviously awake.”

Bucky still could not bear the thought of checking his phone and not finding a message from Natasha, so he placed his cell in his pocket, picked up Sébastien, and opened his door.

“Do the kids ever complain about your music?” he asked Gambit as they both stepped into the hallway.

“Not really,” he laughed. “I doubt dey can hear it over all the noise _dey_ make. Where you takin’ _him?”_   he asked about Sébastien who was cradled in Bucky’s bionic arm.

“For some reason, Janice wants me to bring him to dinner,” he replied with a shrug.

“Oh, no! We not havin’ _‘chat’_ for dinner again, are we?” Gambit joked as he looked at the black feline.

“Just ignore him,” Bucky advised the cat.

Clapping his hands and rubbing them together, Gambit said, “Let’s see how they gonna serve you up tonight, mon cher!”

“Stop teasing him, Remy! You’ll make him nervous,” Bucky warned as the two friends walked down the hall. “What _are_ we having?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but it smells like chicken,” he guessed.

As they entered the dining hall, children raced past them to either get in line for their meal or to find a place to sit once they served themselves.

Seeing Janice near the serving area, he walked over to chat.

“Dinner smells wonderful, Janice!” he said.

Beaming with pride, she said, “Thank you, James! My roasted chicken is one of the children’s favorites. Find a seat, and I’ll bring a plate to you.”

“Oh, no, ma’am,” he said. “I’ll serve myself. By the way, Jared said you asked me to bring Sébastien with me...”

“Yes!” she replied. “I have something for him,” she said removing a small bowl of diced chicken from the oven’s warming tray. “Whenever you eat, bring him and I’ll serve him too!”

“Janice!” said Bucky clearly moved by her kindness.

“No no! It’s the least I can do to repay you for looking out for my Jared,” she said.

“That’s very sweet of you, and I know Sébastien will love it,” Bucky replied putting the cat on the floor.

Janice placed the bowl in a corner next to the refrigerator so Sébastien would not be under foot.

Smelling his dinner, the kitten began eating with gusto enjoying every delicious morsel.

“Wow! I can hardly wait to taste mine,” Bucky said as he picked up a plate and joined the line. He served himself a chicken breast and a large spoonful of broccoli, and then he looked around the room.

Seeing Gambit sitting at a center table with Jubilee, he approached them.

“Mind if I sit here, or are you still fuming from the ball game,” asked Bucky.

“I’ve already moved on, Barnes,” sneered Jubilee. “I’m mature like that.”

“Well, that’s good,” he replied. “Now we can all live in peace.”

“Yeah...” she said.

“So, does Storm ever eat with the students?” the assassin wondered.

“Actually, she usually does join us,” said the young mutant.

As if responding to her name, the headmaster appeared in the doorway dressed in dark blue sweat pants and a light blue polo shirt which made her light blue eyes look even more captivating.

“Hey, Stormy! Over here!” yelled Gambit over the racket of the students talking and laughing as they noisily ate their meal.

Glaring at him, Storm strolled over and said quietly, “Gambit, how many times have I asked you not to call me that in front of the students?”

“As many times as I’ve told you _they don’t care._ Now, sit yourself down, girl, and I’ll get your dinner,” he said pulling a chair out for her and walking toward the serving area.

Storm shook her head and plopped into the chair.

“Are they always like this?” Bucky whispered to Jubilee.

“Yep! Pretty much,” she replied.

As one of the teens walked over to ask Storm a question, Jubilee took a quick moment to elaborate.

Putting her hand in front of her mouth as she whispered to Bucky, she said, “They’ve been close friends for years and adore each other. Gambit’s just teasing, but he doesn’t know when to quit clowning with her.”

“Hmm...” he quietly replied.

“She wants him to be more formal in front of the kids,” she concluded.

“Yeah, I don’t really think ‘formal’ is his thing,” said the assassin.

Finishing her conversation with Storm, the student said, “Thank you, headmaster!” and walked back to her table.

As Bucky and Jubilee smiled at one another, Storm asked, “What did I miss?”

“Oh, I was just telling Jubilee how much I like the chicken,” he lied.

“Looks like Sébastien enjoyed it, too. He licked the bowl!” said Janice proudly as she joined them at what was now the senior staff table.

“I hope you don’t mind. Normally, I sat with Jared because he was sitting on his own. Now, thanks to James, I see he has a few new friends, so I’ll leave them to get acquainted.

Gambit returned with a plate of food, silverware, and a glass of lemonade for Storm which he dutifully placed in front of her.

“Thank you, Remy,” she said.

Grinning broadly, he did not reply but simply winked at her to let her know she was welcome.

“Yes, thank you again for looking out for Jared,” Storm said. “That was very kind of you.”

“It was my pleasure. He’s a good kid – has a good heart. You did a good job with him, Janice,” he replied.

“I just wish his father were a part of his life. He couldn’t handle the uproar over us mutants, so he left us on our own,” she said sadly.

“Well, I hope one day he comes to his senses and realizes his loss,” Bucky said. “There’s nothing like spending time with your son and teaching him things.”

“Do you have a son, James?” she asked.

“No, ma’am, but I remember what it was like when my dad would do things with me like teach me how to pitch a tent, build a campfire, barbecue, or fish,” he said. “He was an army man but after my mom died, he made even more of an effort to schedule leaves so he could take my sister and me on outings. I treasured the time we spent together.”

All of a sudden, Bucky’s eyes opened as big as saucers.

“What’s wrong?” Gambit asked.

“That’s it!” he said. Putting his hand on Janice’s arm, he said, “Remember you asked me what I want you to cook for me?”

“Yes, and the offer still stands,” she reminded him.

“What I want is a barbecue – for the whole school!” Bucky chirped. “Can we do that?” he asked Storm.

“Well...it sounds so ambitious...” she remarked hesitantly as she turned to Janice for her input.

“It’s shouldn’t be too much to handle,” replied the cat-eyed chef.

“Do you have an outdoor grill?” asked the assassin.

“There might be in one of the garages. We had a few picnics back when _‘Chucky the X’_ was headmaster,” Gambit remarked.

Looking annoyed, Storm asked, “Gambit, what am I going to do with you?”

“They. Don’t. Care,” he said of the children who were in earshot but paid them no mind.

“Okay, Remy, you look for the grill. Janice and I will make a list of the food. Then, Remy, Jubilee and I will go to the grocer’s and buy what we need,” Bucky suggested.

Looking at Storm, the whole table awaited her answer.

After some consideration, she said, “It’s up to Janice. If you don’t think it’ll be too much trouble...”

“Not at all!” she said. “I think the students will love it. Many of them are runaways and have never been to a barbecue. I think it’s a great idea. Let’s do it!”

*  *  *  *  *  *

While Bucky and Janice worked on the menu, Gambit asked Colossus to join him in one of the garages to look for an old barbecue grill which the Cajun was certain he had seen there.

“Why are we doing this?” asked Colossus.

“Because Janice is going to cook for James,” he replied.

“For that, she needs a grill?” the immense young man queried.

“It’s something special he wants for the children. You’ll like it! Just wait and see,” he said with a wink.

“Is this it?” Colossus asked easily lifting a few boxes out of the way.

“Dat’s it!” exclaimed Gambit. “Now, let’s get it to the back grounds, and our work is done here.”

 *  *  *  *  *  *

Joining the others in the dining room, Gambit announced, “The grill’s on the back lawn, mes amis. What now?”

“Janice and I came up with the menu, so let’s you, me, and Jubilee head to the market and start shopping,” Bucky said.

“You should take one of the SUVs,” Storm suggested. “Gambit, come with me to my office.”

“I’m not getting another lecture, am I, chère?” he asked

Smiling, she replied, “Not this time, but I can give you one if you’d like.”

“No thanks, Stormy! After you,” he said letting her walk out of the room before him.

“We’ll meet you at the garage,” Bucky said as he left relieved not to be joining him.

He had not been at the school long but already knew that a day without a trip to Storm’s office was a good day indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dey = they  
> ‘chat’ = French for ‘cat,’ it is pronounced “shaw”  
> chère = dear (female equivalent of “cher” for men. Both are pronounced “shaw” as well)


	5. Like Wrangling Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a bit out of control on Bucky’s errand.

As Bucky and Jubilee walked to the garage, she felt it was time to get something off of her chest.

“I’m sorry about the way I acted during the basketball game. I’m highly competitive and hate to lose,” she confessed.

“No worries. I’m competitive, too, so I get it,” he said with a smirk.

“I just felt like you and Gambit hustled Colossus and me,” she explained.

“Well, as I recall, you volunteered the both of you, so we weren’t hustling you.”

“True,” she agreed. “However, you said ‘no powers,’ yet you guys obviously had an advantage.”

“Not really,” he corrected her. “You see, Gambit’s agility is natural – _not_ a mutant power. Likewise, I just happen to be a very agile person. My army and assassin training enhanced that and since I’m _not_ a mutant, it’s not a special power for me. If I had wanted to hustle you, I would have shot the ball with my left arm, which I didn’t do.”

“Yeah, so what _happened_ with your arm? How did it change like that? I thought it was always metal,” the inquisitive young lady asked.

“Oh, when you and I were scrambling for the ball, you accidentally hit a button on my shoulder that toggles my arm’s sensory array,” he explained. “It has a cloaking device that makes it look and feel like a real arm. I was keeping it cloaked so I wouldn’t make anyone here uncomfortable. But the cat’s out of the bag now, so to speak.”

With a sharp laugh, the young mutant replied, “First of all, this is a school for mutants, so you’re not going to freak out anyone here. Second, cloaking is a super cool ability to have! Did it come that way, or was it an upgrade?”

“My arm’s been upgraded now and then over the years, but it didn’t originally come with the sensory array. My girlfriend asked for _that_ upgrade,” he smiled thinking of the day Nick Fury presented him with the new and improved prosthesis.

“Your girlfriend, eh?”

“Yeah, she told Fury that she was tired of the touch of my cold hand, so he had his techs upgrade it with the cloaking device,” said Bucky.

“Well, I’m sorry that I outted you like that. It was an accident. I didn’t mean to put you on blast,” Jubilee assured him.

“No worries. I figured someone here would see it sooner or later.”

Approaching them from behind, Gambit unlocked one of the SUVs and said, “We’re burning daylight. Let’s go!”

“Did Storm rip you a new one again?” Bucky asked.

“Non, James. She gave me a credit card to pay for your groceries,” Gambit replied.

“Cool!” yelped Jubilee.

Turning to her, he said, “‘Put your pretty face in the car, chère.’”

“I know that reference! It’s what Uncle Sos said to Anne in ‘The Big Easy,’ right?”

“Dat’s right!” he said. “See, James. I teach dem kids all kinds of things.”

“Yeah, and that’s not exactly a kid-friendly movie,” advised Bucky.

“Are we a little black cloud today, James?” he asked facetiously as he started the engine.

Snorting, Bucky replied, “No, ‘we’ are not. Just drive, my friend.”

As the threesome drove through the front gates, the assassin peered through the darkly tinted windows.

“You folks keep this place like a fortress,” he remarked.

“We don’t have much choice,” replied Gambit.

*  *  *  *  *  *

When they arrived at a market a few miles from the school, Jubilee could not wait to start shopping.

“Oooh, can I get some ice cream?” she asked Gambit as she bounded from the vehicle.

“I was instructed to stick to the shopping list,” said Bucky. “Janice wants only healthy food, but you’re lucky that she said ‘natural’ ice cream is okay.”

“Yay!” she yelped clapping her hands together. Running over to get a shopping cart, she said, “This is going to be fun!”

As they walked down an aisle toward the meat section, Gambit asked, “So what’s going on the grill, James?”

“We need a ton of chicken drumsticks and hamburger patties,” he instructed.

“We need _ground beef_   – we’re not getting formed patties,” the mutant replied.

“Yes, we’re getting formed patties,” insisted the assassin.

“And why is dat?” the Cajun argued.

“Because it means less prep work for Janice. She’s doing this barbecue as a favor for me, so I don’t want her overworked. Actually, I was hoping you’d help her.

“Of course I’ll help, James, but you need to listen to me. When you buy formed patties, you don’t know what you’re getting in dat package,” he explained.

“It’s meat, isn’t it? Where’s the discussion? It’s easier to just slap the patties on the grill without all the prep of rolling them into a ball and flattening them. Fast. Easy. All the same size!” explained Bucky slightly raising his voice.

As they argued, a few women who were walking past them paused to glance at the two handsome young men working themselves into a lather over which ground beef to buy.

Jubilee had become bored with the argument and stood with her left elbow on the handle of their cart as she rested her head in her left hand.

Noticing a woman who stood smiling at the two arguing young men, the mutant teen said, “My two dads…”

Embarrassed that she had been seen watching, the woman pushed her cart down the aisle.

“Girls! Girls! You’re both pretty. Now, can we get on with shopping?” the impatient teen asked.

“Janice said ‘healthy,’ and if _I’m_ cooking, _I_ decide!” argued Gambit not ready to give up.

“No, you _don’t!”_ Bucky insisted. “Put the patties in the damn cart!”

“Fine!” he relented picking up packs of formed hamburger patties.

“Now, we need as many packs of chicken drumsticks as we can find. If there aren’t enough, we’ll make up the difference with wings,” the assassin advised as the threesome began loading packages into their cart.

When they finished, the teen chirped, “Dare I ask what’s next?”

“Janice said there are two or three vegetarians, so we need a pack of veggie burgers for them,” Bucky said.

“Those are in frozen foods. We can get them when we go get my ice cream,” she replied.

“Don’t worry. We haven’t forgotten the ice cream,” he said. “Now we need buns and Romaine lettuce.”

Staring at him oddly, she inquired, “Where’ Gambit?”

Turning around, Bucky replied, “Where the heck did he go?” Annoyed, he mumbled to himself, “This is turning into a shit show.”

“What did you say?” asked his teenage companion.

“Nothing,” he sighed. “Let’s move on.”

In the camping supplies section, Bucky lifted a large sack of charcoal and placed in on the bottom rack of the cart.

“Is that going to be enough?” Jubilee asked.

“It would help if Gambit were here since I’m not sure how big the grill is. It should be enough even for a large one, though,” the assassin replied.

Reaching the bakery section, he advised, “We need buns – lots of buns.”

“How many packs?” Jubilee asked.

Looking at the beef patties, he confessed, “I have no idea. Let’s just grab all the ones they have.”

Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “Okay!”

When they finished placing the buns in the cart, Bucky said, “Now, all we need is the lettuce, ice cream, and veggie burgers.”

As they walked down an aisle in the produce section, the pair saw the errant member of their threesome smiling and chatting with a young woman while he held a cucumber suggestively.

“Stay here,” the assassin advised stopping the cart a few yards away.

“But –” the teen began.

“I said stay here,” he repeated as he walked toward the older mutant.

“Hi, honey!” Bucky said throwing his arm around Gambit and planting a big kiss on his cheek. “I’m glad you remembered the cucumbers, babe!

Both the young woman and Gambit stared at Bucky in shock.

“He’s the best wife I could have ever hoped for,” he said gazing at his mutant friend with love in his eyes.

Jubilee could not hear what was being said, but she covered her face with both hands and laughed until she cried.

“Wait a minute!” Gambit said to the woman. “It’s not what you think...”

Before the Cajun could explain that his friend was playing a joke on them, the woman looked from one man to the other and then briskly pushed her cart away.

Thinking they were all making fun of her, as she reached Jubilee, the woman shot the teen an annoyed look and turned down the main aisle.

“What the hell, James?” Gambit snapped. “I just got a date with her, and now you’ve blown it!”

“We’re not here for that. We’re here to shop and get back to the school. You can play Casanova some other time. Now march!” he ordered as he pointed to Jubilee and their cart.

Putting down the cucumber, Gambit sighed and started walking. “I’m never shopping with you again,” he said.

“Whatever,” the assassin replied.

When they reached Jubilee, she was still laughing.

“Shut up,” snapped the Cajun.

“Sorry, man, but that looked hilarious,” she laughed.

“Yeah? Well remind me to go along on your next date,” he scolded her.

The teen abruptly stopped laughing and asked, “So, lettuce is next on the list?”

“Yeah, we need Romaine,” said Bucky.

They each picked up bundled heads of lettuce, bagged them, and placed them into the cart.

“By the way, is that enough charcoal for the grill?” Bucky asked Gambit.

Looking down at the sack, he replied, “Yeah, dat’s more than enough.”

He had calmed down somewhat following Bucky’s prank in the produce section and admitted to himself that he should not have wandered off.

Strolling through the frozen foods section, Jubilee selected a package of the veggie burgers and placed it in the cart. Then, she ran to the shelves of ice cream and looked at the many choices.

“I want Rocky Road!” she cooed.

“I tell you what – I’ll get a small Rocky Road just for you, but the rest is going to be vanilla and chocolate. Okay?” asked Bucky.

“Can I eat it in the car?” she asked him excitedly.

“That’s up to your ‘other dad,’” he said smirking at Gambit.

“Ha ha!” he replied. “Just don’t make a mess, or Stormy will have my guts for garters again.”

“Thanks, ‘Dad,’” she chirped throwing her arms around him.

“Lord, _please_ get me out of dis store!” he said rolling his eyes.                              

Bucky and Gambit loaded cartons of ice cream into the cart as Jubilee walked to the prepared foods area and took a spoon from a large utensil holder. Rejoining them, she selected a pint of Rocky Road, opened it, and began eating.

“Wow! Teenagers. You can’t even wait ‘til we leave the store?” Gambit asked with surprise.

“I’m a growing kid,” she replied with a shrug.

“Okay. Is that it?” asked Bucky.

“Non. Barbecue sauce,” Gambit remembered.

“Janice said she has other condiments, so we’ll get the barbecue sauce and go,” he advised.

“You two go get in line, and I’ll get the sauce,” the Cajun suggested.

At the check stand, Bucky began to unload the cart placing items on the conveyor belt.

After a few moments, he looked at Jubilee and asked, “Are you going to help at all?”

“I’m eating my ice cream,” she said and then turned to read the covers of the tabloids on the nearby racks.

“Thanks for your assistance,” he replied sarcastically as he continued to unload the cart.

When Gambit returned with four large bottles of barbecue sauce, he placed them on the conveyor belt and helped Bucky with the last of the groceries.

“Jubie, if you’re not gonna help, could you at least put yourself on the side, chère?” the Cajun asked.

Moving slightly to her left, she asked, “Why is everyone so touchy tonight?”

“We’ve just got a lot to do, so it would be nice to have all hands on deck,” Bucky replied.

He placed the last of the items on the belt and approached the clerk who had already rung up most of their purchases.

“Good evening, Miss,” he said with a slight nod of his head.

“Good evening. Did you folks find everything you were looking for?” the young clerk asked as she smiled at the handsome shopper.

“Thank you. We did,” he said.

“Will this be all for you, sir?”

“Yes...Oh, and her ice cream, too,” he said pointing to a preoccupied Jubilee.

“Thank you. I’ll add that to your total,” she said not taking her eyes off Bucky.

As the clerk rang up the total, Gambit pulled from his wallet the credit card that Storm gave to him.

Before he could insert it into the card reader on the counter, Bucky reached out and covered it.

Confused, Gambit stared at the assassin.

“This is on me,” Bucky said.

“But this was supposed to be a ‘Thank-you’ gift,” the Cajun replied.

Removing a credit card from his wallet, Bucky insisted.

“I’m not taking money from the school. This is my way of thanking you for having me.”

Swiping his card to begin the payment process, he smiled at his companion when the transaction was completed.

Shrugging his shoulders, Gambit returned Storm’s card to his wallet and said, “Thanks, man.”

“Don’t mention it,” the assassin replied as he started loading the bagged groceries into the cart.

Turning his attention to the young clerk, Gambit smiled and asked, “What time do you get off work, petite?”

Charmed by the handsome young man in the dark glasses, she said, “Not until 9:00, but you can come back if you want.”

“I just might do dat,” he cooed with a sly smile.

Bucky decided to give him a break and let him flirt since he ruined his chance for a date with the lady in the produce section. He quietly continued loading the groceries with the help of a young man who worked as a bagger.

Leaving the tabloids and walking up behind Gambit, Jubilee was not as gracious to the Cajun.

Planting a big, sticky kiss on his left cheek, she said, “Thanks for the ice cream, ‘Dad.’ It was delicious!”

The young clerk looked at Jubilee who was only a year or two younger than herself and then glared at Gambit.

Shaking his head, the Cajun said, “Mon Dieu! Here we go again.”

Pointing at Bucky, he asked the teen mutant, “Why don’t you go help Ol’ Papa? Adults are speaking here!”

Jubilee smiled at the clerk and then squeezed past Gambit. When she reached Bucky, he was finished loading the cart.

Turning to the clerk again, Gambit lamented, “My housemates have quite a sense of humor, non?”

Realizing that Jubilee must have been kidding, the clerk laughed and said, “Oh! Well, I’m still off at 9:00.”

“I’ll definitely keep dat in mind, chère,” he replied as he slowly moved to join his friends who were exiting the store.

As Bucky pushed the heavy cart through the parking lot, Gambit frowned at both Jubilee and him.

“I’m never going out with either one of y’all again!” he proclaimed.

Laughing, Bucky asked, “Come on. We weren’t _that_ bad, were we?”

“Yeah! We were just having a bit of fun – that’s all,” chirped the teen

Scowling, the Cajun replied, “Excusez-moi if I failed to see the humor.”

“He’ll be okay,” Jubilee assured Bucky.

“I’m sure he will,” the assassin.

_“‘He’_ is standing right here, mes amis,” Gambit reminded them

“Sorry,” Bucky said.

The threesome began loading the groceries into the back of the SUV.

Noticing that the teen was actually assisting them, Bucky turned to her and said, “Thanks for helping.”

“You’re welcome, ‘Dad,’ she chirped.

“You gonna have to stop dat right now, chère. _He_ may be old enough to be your papa, but no more ‘Dad’ jokes for me, yeah?” Gambit said.

Laughing, the teen agreed.

“Okay, okay! I’ll stop, but you know, I kind of wish you guys _were_ my dads. It’d be nice to have a family again, and you’re pretty cool for a couple of old farts,” she confessed.

Although he did not like her terminology, Bucky appreciated the sentiment.

Gambit, however, was a bit annoyed.

“Jubie, you do realize dat I’m only six years older than you, oui?” he exclaimed.

“I know, but you’re so wise and protective,” she explained.

“Well, since you put it dat way...but I’m more like a grand frère – a big brother,” he said softening.

Smiling angelically, the teen pushed the empty cart out of the way and returned to the vehicle.

“So, how old are _you,_ Bucky?” she asked.

“I don’t really know,” he replied.

Perplexed, the teen asked, “How could you not know?”

“I was in and out of cryostasis for decades and then out for a number of years. Then, I suffered a mortal wound and was given the Infinity Formula. Since I’m aging very slowly, I’m not really sure _how_ old I am now,” he confessed.

“Wow! So, you could be like over 100 years old, huh?” she asked excitedly.

“No, I’m not _that_ old. I’m around twenty-nine or thirty, I guess,” he said.

“Gee...that’s still pretty old,” the teen remarked.

Dumbfounded, Bucky stood with his mouth agape.

Climbing into the vehicle, Jubilee relaxed resting her feet on the storage compartment between the two front seats. She pulled her MP3 player from her pocket, pushed a pair of headphones into her ears, and began to sing loudly to the first song that she selected.

In the front seats, Bucky and Gambit stared at each other.

Starting the engine, the Cajun asked, “Were we dat bad when we were teens?”

“Well, I know for a fact that I was _worse._ After my parents died, I often fought the other kids on the army base. I spent my sixteenth birthday in the Fort Lehigh brig for getting drunk at the officers’ bar and starting a brawl. I put two soldiers in the hospital and broke an MP’s arm,” the assassin said proudly.

“Living on the streets, I was in and out of trouble for stealing food, but it’s hard to top your drunken brawl,” Gambit admitted with a smile.

Their drive back to the school was noisy but short.

As soon as they reached the two-mile point, Bucky looked up and saw the drone which followed them the rest of the way. It was harder to see at sunset than it was earlier in the day, but he watched it until they reached the front gates of the school.

Gambit waited as the gates crept open and then slowly guided the vehicle around the back of the school to the garage. Backing the car in, he brought it to a stop near the interior door.

“How are we going to get all these groceries to the kitchen?” Bucky asked.

“No worries, mon ami. Help is on the way,” replied Gambit.

As the threesome exited the vehicle, some of the students arrived with two utility carts.

Gambit lifted the trunk door and stood back as the students quickly removed the bags from the load floor and placed them onto the carts.

Without being asked, the students pushed the carts through the doorway en route to the kitchen.

“Wow! That was easy,” Bucky exclaimed.

“Yeah, it took a little training, but they’ve learned,” Gambit said with a laugh.

“How did they know we were back?” the assassin asked.

“Deathlok’s drone. Once he saw us coming, he told the kids to get the carts,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“Well, that was great!” Bucky declared.

“Come on. Janice will need help putting it all away,” he said. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

When Bucky and Gambit entered the kitchen, Janice was already putting the food away.

Picking up packs of chicken drumsticks, Gambit said, “Janice, I’m gonna help you cook tomorrow, so what time you gonna start preparing things?”

Smiling, she replied, “Oh, thank you, Gambit! That would be great! You know I teach drawing class every Saturday morning after breakfast, so I guess I’ll start preparing the food around 10:30.”

“While you’re doing that, I’ll clean and prepare the grill,” the assassin admitted.

“Great! That’ll be a big help,” Janice chirped.

As they continued to put away the shopping, another idea came to her.

Gazing at Bucky with her big green cat eyes, Janice said, “I could use your help with something else, Bucky.”

“What’s that, ma’am?”

“As I said, every Saturday morning after breakfast, I teach a drawing class. This week, we’re going to start doing life model drawings, and I wonder if you wouldn’t mind being our first model,” the attractive chef explained.

Recalling the nude reading sessions he recently did in New Orleans at Madame Celeste’s House of Celestial Dreams, he blushed and said, “I wouldn’t want to upset the headmaster again. She might object to it, you see.”

“Well, you could just sit and read a book or watch a TV show while the students draw. I can’t see her objecting to that,” she replied.

“It’s not like you have to _tell_ Storm. Go ahead. Live a little!” Gambit chimed in.

Janice looked at Bucky hopefully.

Giving it a moment of thought, he agreed. “Okay...why not?”

Cheerfully, Janice gave him a hug and said, “Thank you! With your muscular physique, the students will have a great model to draw from. Now, don’t forget!”

“I won’t, but remind me during breakfast,” he suggested. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

As they finished putting away the last of the groceries, Bucky asked, “So, are there any plans for tonight?”

Leaning against the refrigerator, Gambit said, “It’s Friday, and Friday is movie night.”

“Oh! What are we watching?” the assassin eagerly asked.

“Everything has to be kid-friendly, so tonight it’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief,” he said.

Laughing, Bucky asked, “Did you have any input on that choice, pal?” referring to his friend’s outside profession.  

“Oh, you are _so_ funny, Sergeant Barnes. No, I did not. As a matter of fact, the kids voted on it,” the thief replied.

Elaborating, Janice said, “We pop corn, and the students watch the movies on the big plasma screen in the commons. There’s no pressure for you to join us if you’d rather some alone time. I don’t think you’ve had much since you’ve been here.”

“I’d be happy to join you,” Bucky replied glad that his activities were keeping his mind off of his argument with Natasha.

“Great! Bring little Sébastien with you. I set aside a bowl of tuna for him,” Janice said with a wink.

Laughing, Bucky replied, “You spoil him, Janice, but I know he’ll love it!”

“It’s my pleasure. We’ll start the movie at 8:00, so that gives you an hour to relax. Don’t be late!” she said.

“I’ll see you then,” Bucky said as he and Gambit walked toward the door.

Standing in the hallway with students running past them on either side, Gambit said, “I’m gonna go put in some face time with Stormy to make sure things are okay with us. I’ll see you in the commons in an hour. Are you okay on your own?” he asked.

“Of course,” Bucky replied wanting to check his messages and perhaps try to call Natasha.

The two men turned and started walking away from each other. Then, Bucky had an idea.

“Hey! I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he said. “Is there a fitness room here?”

Laughing, Gambit replied, “I heard you were a ‘gym rat.’ It’s the last door on the left before you reach the garage.”

“Well, you must be doing something to stay in shape, pal. Wanna join me tomorrow morning for a workout?” asked Bucky.

“We Cajuns traditionally get our exercise from dancing, but I’ll join you, mon ami,” he answered with a grin.

“Great! See you at 6:00, then.”

“Wait...Did you say 6:00? Why so early, Sergeant?” asked the stunned mutant.

“I’m an army man, so that’s ‘sleeping in’ for me. Besides, you know what they say about the early bird catching the worm,” Bucky remarked.

“Well, _dis_ early bird prefers beignets, but I guess I’ll be there. I’ll see you in an hour,” copain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excusez-moi = Pardon me  
> Mon Dieu = My goodness  
> MP = Military Police  
> The commons = the living room; a communal space for the students to relax  
> coipain = buddy


	6. An Unexpected Pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s movie night at Jean Grey’s School for Higher Learning, and Bucky receives a pleasant gift.

When Bucky reached his room, he opened the door and found Sébastien fast asleep on the floor next to his pet carrier.

The kitten immediately awoke and ran to him when he heard Bucky enter.

Bending to pick up the cat, he asked, “Hey, pal!  Did you miss me?”

The small black feline licked his face with gusto to let him know that he had.

Placing Sébastien on his bed, Bucky sat next to him as he checked his cell phone and saw that there was still no message from Natasha. Sighing heavily, he decided that he was tired of waiting for her to contact him, so he typed a text message to her.

            **SoldierBoy:** BadGirl, we need to talk. Call me.

He paused for a moment to think if he should say more. Deciding to keep emotions out of it for now, he clicked “Send” and hoped she would respond soon.

As he sat on the bed thinking and scratching Sébastien lovingly on the head, Bucky wondered where Natasha was and how she was doing. She often did not tell him the details of her missions with the Avengers, but every once in a while, she would ask him for intel on a person of interest on whom he may have acquired knowledge during his work as an assassin.

Although he never said so, he found it frustrating that often he would only learn of her whereabouts in the same way that other citizens did – by watching the evening news as footage of the Avengers’ latest missions were broadcast. At such times, he felt like her dirty little secret – the ‘bit of rough’ that she kept tucked away and never discussed with her friends or wished to be seen with in public.

When asked, she would either say that her missions were top secret or that she did not want to burden him with the details.

As an assassin, Bucky could understand Nat’s secrecy, but it still annoyed him that so often she left him in the dark. What frustrated him all the more was that when the shoe was on the other foot, she demand transparency.

Looking over at the desk clock, he realized that an hour had passed as he sat thinking about his and Natasha’s relationship. It was now almost 8:00 and time for the movie.

Bucky checked his phone once more, but there was still no message. His emotions were now a mix of anger and sorrow.

‘Perhaps I should skip the movie. Maybe no one will notice that I’m not there,’ he thought.

He then realized that if he wanted to sit alone in a small room and wonder where Nat was, he could have just stayed at his apartment. He had accepted Gambit’s offer to visit so he could take his mind off of Nat. Besides, skipping the movie might insult his hosts.

Standing, he lifted Sébastien from the bed and walked to the door.

“Come on, pal. We both need to get out of this room for a while,” he said as he closed the door behind them.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Before Bucky entered the commons, he could already hear students’ excited conversations and laughter. As he stood in the doorway and looked around the room, teens ran past him and sat on the floor since all the chairs and sofas appeared to be already filled.

Just as he was about to go to the dining room and get a chair, he heard someone call his name.

“Bucky! Bucky, over here!” someone called above the chatter of the assembly.

Looking to his right, he was Jared waving to him. He was seated on one of the sofas at the other end of the room and was pointing down at a pillow which lay next to him.

“I saved you a seat!” the child said proudly.

 “Thanks, man!” Bucky said as he smiled and made his way over careful not to step on any of the students sitting on the floor.

 “I was worried you weren’t coming,” Jared confided.

“Who – me?” asked Bucky. “I wouldn’t have missed this. Where’s your mom?’

“She’s over there,” the child said as he pointed across the room.

Glancing over, Bucky saw the lovely cat-eyed woman handing out bowls of popcorn which she had brought in on a cart.

“Maybe she’d like to sit here with you,” he suggested as he prepared to stand.

“No worries,” Jared replied as he pointed to a placeholder pillow on the other side of him.

Colossus approached the huge plasma screen at the far end of the room. There, he squatted, opened the tray of a DVD player, and inserted the disc of “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.”

As the previews began to play, Bucky looked around the room. He saw Gambit sitting with Jubilee on the floor not far ahead of him. Scattered throughout the students were X-Men that he knew by sight but had yet to meet. He saw a pretty young lady who he recognized as Frenzy. Not far from her sat a very animated girl called Karma. Sitting two chairs away from her was Firestar with her long red hair.

Bucky realized from the gathering that there were quite a few students and staff with whom he had yet to become acquainted.

Over his left shoulder and further back, he saw Storm who was flanked by even more students.

“Where are Nightcrawler and Deathlok?” he asked Jared.

“Nightcrawler usually sneaks in and sits in the back with Storm after the movie starts, and Deathlok is on duty. Movies aren’t really his thing,” he answered.

“Oh...I see,” Bucky replied.

Suddenly, he saw Ruby enter the commons.

Quickly looking around the room, she saw that her friends had saved her a spot on the floor directly in front of Bucky.

“Hello again, Ruby!” he said as she sat down.

Blushing, she answered, “Hi, Bucky!”

He smiled as her friends began to giggle and nudge her.

After a few moments, Ruby turned and looked back at Bucky.

He raised his eyebrows as if to ask, ‘What?’

“Bucky?” she asked.

“Huh?” he replied.

“May I braid your hair?”

Dumbfounded, he sat speechless for a few moments as he considered the question.

“No one has ever asked me that before,” he confessed.

Her request seemed innocent enough, so he thought it would be all right.

“Uh...sure!” he finally said.

Bucky rose from the sofa and traded places with Ruby as her friends blushed and giggled on either side of him.

Sitting on the sofa, Ruby leaned forward and began to rake her fingers through his neck-length brown hair.

Although he tried not to, Bucky flinched as she touched his scalp the first few times. No one other than Natasha and his long-dead mother had ever touched him in this way. Ever since he became the Winter Soldier and endured decades of sensory deprivation while in solitary confinement inside a cryostasis tube, he had been a young man who was unaccustomed to tactile stimulation from others. As he sat with Ruby’s fingers in his hair, he tried to get a handle on the flood of emotions he was now feeling.

After the first initial touches, Bucky began to relax and enjoy how invigorating it felt as she parted his hair with her fingers and began to braid it into pigtails.

Instead of watching the movie, Bucky closed his eyes so he could enjoy her touch on a deeper sensory level. Not even Sébastien’s stirring in his lap distracted him from how good it felt to be touched by Ruby’s gentle hands.

When she finished with his pigtails, Bucky became sad because she was done. However, to his pleasant surprise, she immediately began to unbraid his hair and rake her fingers through it again. Now, she started on a French braided ponytail.

Bucky was adrift in a sensual paradise. Even when Natasha rode him, there was rarely prolonged physical stimulation. When she was finished, she kissed him, dismounted him, and then lay next to him with her head on his shoulder. He always wanted more but did not know how to ask.

When he and Natasha were younger and in Russian’s Red Room program, they had sex in silence and in a hurry so they would not be caught together. Although being discovered was no longer an issue, their pattern of sex remained virtually the same as Natasha always seemed to finish more quickly than he hoped.

As Ruby reached the middle of the braid, Bucky began to wonder what her mutant power was.

‘I’m a telepath and a healer,’ he heard her say – not aloud but in his head.

He laughed to himself and smiled broadly.

Slowly, he opened his eyes halfway and saw Gambit turned around in his spot and looking back at him.

The assassin immediately realized that perhaps he should not have allowed young Ruby to braid his hair. Perhaps Gambit was trying to tell him that Storm was watching and was upset. However, when he examined Gambit’s face more closely, he saw that his friend’s expression was not one of warning or displeasure. Instead, his face bore a slight smile of approval and something else that Bucky could not quite discern.

Interrupting this subtle exchange, Ruby told Bucky telepathically, ‘You have soft, lovely hair.’

‘Thank you,’ he silently replied as he continued to enjoy the braiding.

Bucky felt his body relax and grow limp as the stimulation overcame him. He had never realized before how exhilarating the simple touch of his scalp could be. He gave in to the sensation and before he knew it, he was in a deeper state of relaxation than he had ever been in before.

*  *  *  *  *  *

When the students began to cheer, Bucky was jolted awake unaware that he had fallen asleep resting against Ruby’s legs as she sat behind him on the sofa. He had not dreamed while he was asleep. He simply rested in a state of complete comfort and bliss – something he had not felt since before his mother died when he was twelve years old.

Turning and looking up at a smiling Ruby, Bucky felt a tear roll down his right cheek.

‘Thank you,’ he thought as he gazed at her.

‘You’re welcome,’ she replied telepathically.

“All right, students. Let’s get to bed,” Storm announced as she stood.

As her young charges rose, a few helped Janice to collect the popcorn bowls while the rest left the commons and walked toward the stairs.

“Good night, Ruby,” Bucky said as he stood and faced her.

“Good night, Bucky,” she replied as she and her friends proceeded to the door.

In the hallway, she stopped and looked back at him. They smiled at one another, and then she was gone.

“You enjoy the film?” asked Gambit who had just walked up behind him.

Knowing that Gambit saw his reaction to Ruby’s hair braiding, he chose not to respond. Instead, he braced himself for a lecture that did not come.

“We best get some sleep if we’re gonna hit the gym at 7:00,” Gambit suggested.

“That’s 6:00,” Bucky corrected him.

“I know. I just thought I could fool you into giving me another hour of sleep, dat’s all. I see you’re still dead set on the crack of dawn, though,’ the Cajun joked.

“Remy, by 7:00, a rooster has already clocked out of work for the day,” Bucky teased.

“Huh?” asked Gambit.

“Never mind,” he replied. “I’ll see you in the fitness room at 6:00. Sleep tight!”

“You, too,” said the Cajun.

As he walked up the stairs he wondered, ‘What the hell does a rooster have to do with it?’


	7. Night Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky has a rough night.

When Bucky opened his eyes, he was in his cryostasis tube. He could not hear anything but looking through the window on the front of the tube, he could see Natasha standing in profile. She seemed to be talking to someone that he could not see.

“Natasha! Nat!” he yelled as he pounded the containment vessel with both fists.

She did not hear him, nor did she seem to notice he was even there.

Suddenly, from off to his right, he saw a man approach her. It was Matt Murdock.

‘What is Daredevil doing here?’ he wondered.

As he approached Natasha, Matt embraced her and they kissed passionately. The sight of this enraged Bucky, and he began to pound the tube even harder.

He watched Natasha for a moment as the two kissed, and suddenly Matt morphed into Clint Barton. It was bad enough to see her kissing Daredevil, but now before his very eyes, she was kissing Hawkeye.

“Natasha!” he yelled louder but to no avail.

As he watched the couple, Clint faded into Tony Stark – another of Natasha’s former lovers. He was wearing his iconic Iron Man suit of armor minus the face mask as he kissed her lovingly.

When Tony morphed into Wolverine, Bucky was certain that he was going insane. Try as he might, he could not get Natasha’s attention, nor could he free himself from his stasis tube.

As Wolverine turned into Nick Fury, Sr., Bucky began to tremble with rage. Frantically, he looked for some way to open the tube.

Natasha passionately kissed Nick as she ran her fingers through the grey hair at the senior Fury’s temples. Suddenly, he morphed into Bucky’s best friend, Steve Rogers. Stunned, Bucky realized that he was the second Captain America that Natasha had been with. When he began to wonder if Sam Wilson would be her third, something inside him snapped.

As the seemingly endless parade of former lovers faded in and out before him, Bucky began to frantically punch the glass with his cybernetic fist. The harder he pounded, the more progress he made as he finally started to see cracks.                          

Suddenly, the glass window shattered sending a flood of the fluid in which he was suspended flowing onto the floor outside of the tube. He blinked and saw that he was alone with no one else in the room.

Bucky was jolted awake realizing that it was a nightmare.

Sweating, he sat up in bed still shaking from the adrenaline rush. He decided to go down the hall and splash cold water on his face. When he reached the bathroom, in the mirror he saw a young man looking back at him with dark circles under his eyes.

The water did not seem to do him much good, so Bucky decided to go back to his room and lie down. He thought he could make it, but as he returned to his room, he felt as if the world had just flipped upside down.

Suddenly, all he saw was black.

*  *  *  *  *  *

When Gambit reached the door of the fitness room, it was 6:10. He braced himself for a lecture from Bucky about tardiness but was surprised to see that his friend was not there.

“Dat rascal made me get up early, and he ain’t even _here?_   Where the hell _is_ he?” the Cajun asked with disdain.

Turning to go back upstairs, he looked down and saw little Sébastien mewing at his feet.

He knew that Bucky would never let his beloved cat roam about alone because he feared the students might accidentally step on him, so something had to be wrong for him to be out on his own.

“Come on, chat. Let’s go find ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ He’s supposed to work out with me dis morning,” he said.

Climbing the stairs two at a time, Gambit quickly reached Bucky’s room. He saw that the door was slightly ajar and wondered how he had not noticed it when he left his room across the hall.

Slowly, he pushed the door open and saw his friend sitting on the floor with his back against the chest of drawers as he stared unblinking at nothing in particular.

At this hour, usually no one at the school was awake yet, so Gambit knew that although his was panicking, he had to be quiet.

After putting Sébastien in his pet carrier, Gambit ran for help. He knew that the girl’s wing was generally off limits to the male students and staff, but he ran to Jubilee’s room nonetheless.

Knocking quietly, he got no answer. So, he knocked louder.

“Who is it?” the groggy young lady asked.

He did not answer but instead knocked again.

She climbed out of bed wearing a matching t-shirt and shorts flannel pajama set.

“What do you want, Gambit?” she answered somewhat annoyed.

“I need your help!” he said urgently.

“You’re not supposed to be in the girl’s wing, you know,” she reminded him as she began to yawn.

“Get Ruby and come with me!” he insisted.

“What’s wrong?” she asked suddenly realizing that he was serious.

“Just do as I say, chère, and _hurry!”_

“Okay! Okay!” she said as she ran down the hall and opened Ruby’s door without knocking.

A moment later, Ruby appeared in the hallway in a sleeveless pink night gown and walked toward Gambit as she scratched her head. Her eyes were still half shut.

When she reached him, she was surprised when he grabbed her right bicep and almost dragged her down the hall toward the boy’s wing of the dorms.

“Hey! You’re hurting me!” she yelped.

“Be quite, petite,” he advised her. “Bucky needs you!”

When the three arrived at Bucky’s room, he was still sitting on the floor where Gambit had found him.

Jubilee covered her left cheek with her hand and asked, “What happened to him?”

“Hush,” Gambit said as he watched Ruby intently.

Kneeling in front of Bucky, she waited to see if he would acknowledge that she was there. When he did not, she rubbed her hands together and slowly stretched them toward him until they were on either side of his head. Placing her palms over his temples, she closed her eyes and tried to communicate with him.

‘Are you all right, Bucky?’ she asked him telepathically.

At first she got no response, but then she heard a quiet answer.

‘I don’t know,’ he responded from far away.

‘Come to the sound of my voice,’ she advised.

‘Where are you?’ he asked.

‘I’m here,’ she said. ‘Just follow my voice.’

‘Where is Natasha?’ he asked.

Ruby could tell that he was becoming anxious and distracted. She did not know why he was looking for Natasha or what had upset him, but she wanted to calm him down as fast as she could. So, she lied.

‘She’s here with me. Just follow my voice and you’ll be with her,’ the telepath told him.

‘Nat is with you?’ asked the confused young man.

‘Yes, she is. Come to us,’ the girl insisted.

“What’s happening?” Jubilee whispered.

“I said hush,” Gambit warned her again quietly.

For a moment, there was no change in Bucky’s condition. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes began to blink.

With Ruby’s hands still on either side of his head, he looked up at her.

“What are you doing here?” he wondered.

“You needed a little help,” she advised him.

“Where’s Natasha?” he asked.

Looking at Gambit, Ruby felt guilty about lying to Bucky, but it was the only way she could be sure she could rouse him back into consciousness.

Somewhat relieved, Gambit reached for Bucky’s arm and said, “Come on, Ol’ Papa. Let’s get you back into bed.”

Pulling away from him, the assassin said, “No! I’m fine. I just need a minute.”

Bucky stood and sat on his bed. As he rubbed his face with his hands, the details of his nightmare came flooding back to him, and he realized that Ruby had lied to him. Natasha was not there.

Glaring at her, he thought, ‘You lied to me. She’s not here at all!’

‘I’m sorry. It was the only way,’ she said telepathically.

Softening his gaze, he replied, ‘I suppose...thank you.’

Ruby simply smiled

“Will somebody tell me what’s going on?” asked an agitated Jubilee.

Pulling her into the hallway, Gambit said, “That’s enough for now, chère. Thanks both of you for your help. You ladies get back to your rooms before Deathlok finds out you’re in the boys’ wing. For all we know, he’s watching the security cameras right now.”

The two girls sprinted back down the hall as Gambit closed Bucky’s door and sat next to him on the bed.

“What’s going on, mon ami?” he asked.

Shaking his head, Bucky said, “I thought I was doing okay, but I guess I’m in worse shape than I thought.”

“Natasha?” Gambit asked.

“Yeah.”

“You seemed to be much better last night after the movie,” he observed.

“Yeah, I did feel better. Then, when I checked and there was still no message from Nat...” he lamented.

The two sat quietly and thought for a few moments.

Patting his friend on his right shoulder, Gambit said, “You trust Remy. Things are gonna work out. You wait and see.”

“I wish I could believe that, pal,” Bucky replied.

Smiling as he stood, Gambit said, “Oh, I gotta feeling about dis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dat = that  
> chat = French for cat (pronounced “shaw”)  
> dis = this


	8. Weight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the day of Bucky’s barbecue, and his morning becomes even more eventful. Bucky is confronted about his past as the Winter Soldier.

As Bucky sat on his bed in nothing but his blue, yellow and red Barnes tartan pajama bottoms, he decided that exercise might do him some good and if nothing else, it would clear his head. Quickly, he changed into black sweat pants and a grey t-shirt, and then slipped his feet into black athletic shoes. Pulling an elastic band from the front pocket of his duffle bag, he tied his hair back into a ‘man bun.’ Before leaving his room, he scratched Sébastien on the head and poured water and food into their respective bowls for him.                                          

The school was still quiet when he opened the door to the fitness room and walked in. Before he used any of the equipment, Bucky decided to warm up his muscles. Lowering himself to the floor, he did 200 push-ups followed by 200 sit-ups. The limber assassin then did a full split which he held for a few moments to stretch his thigh muscles as he looked around at the equipment in the room.

Just as he walked to a rack which held dumbbells, Bucky saw Gambit appear in the doorway.

“How did I know you’d come work out anyway, Sergeant Barnes?” the Cajun asked.

Laughing, Bucky put his cybernetic hand on a 25 pound dumbbell.

Gambit watched as his friend’s mechanical arm ramped up to lift the weight, and he marveled at the piece of machinery and its clicking and whirring sounds.

Effortlessly, Bucky lifted the weight and carried it over to a nearby bench. He placed it on the floor and sat on the bench to the left of it. With his right hand, he picked up the dumbbell which was heavier for him to lift now that he could truly feel its weight. He placed his right elbow on his right knee and began to do several repetitions of curls.

Bucky could feel his friend’s eyes on him though he did not meet his gaze.

“I’m glad you’re here,” the assassin said. “You can spot me on the barbell.”

“Well, while you’re pumping up dat bicep, I’m gonna put in a couple of miles on the bike, yeah,” Gambit advised.

The Cajun found it easy to talk as he kept a pace of 15 miles per hour on the exercise bike and thus asked his companion about the episode that he just witnessed in his guest room.

“So, was dat post-traumatic stress or a regular nightmare for you?” he queried.

Staring at the floor, the assassin replied, “Both, I guess. I have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which gives me nightmares regularly. I was hoping it wouldn’t happen while I was here,” he confessed.

“You scared the life out of me, James. Is there something I can do to help?” asked Gambit.

“Thanks, pal. I wish there were, but…” he said trailing off.

“You want to talk about what happened – where you were or what triggered it?”

“Not really. No,” Bucky admitted.

“Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, Remy’s here for you,” he said offering his support.

“I appreciate that. Say, when you get to 10 miles, would you spot me on the barbell?” the assassin asked.

“Of course, copain. I’ll be finished soon,” Gambit said as he continued to pedal.

As Gambit reached the 10 mile mark on the exercise bike, he slowed down to 12 miles per hour. He maintained that speed for a few moments as a cooldown.

Removing his feet from the bike’s stirrups, he announced, “Okay. I’m done. Let’s get you on the barbells, mon ami.”

The barbell had disks on it that weighed 30 pounds each, but Bucky wanted more of a workout.

“How much weight you putting on here, James?” Gambit asked.

“I’ll start with 125 pounds and then work my way up from there.”

“Well, if dat’s what you want...” the Cajun replied as he helped Bucky add more weight disks.

Bucky lay down on the bench and carefully lifted the barbell straight up over his head.

Meanwhile, Gambit spotted him by lightly placing his hands under the bar in case his friend should drop it. His catlike reflexes would ensure that the bar would not fall on his friend, although he need not have worried since Bucky’s bionic arm greatly outmatched the mutant’s strength and response time.

“Why do you push yourself so hard, James?” the Cajun asked.

“I was in the army and like to stay fit. Besides, it’s hard to fight the bad guys when you’re out of shape,” he replied.

“Do you ever take a day off?”

“I took yesterday off,” the assassin reminded him.

“Well, considering what happened this morning, no one would blame you for skipping today,” Gambit remarked.

“I don’t believe in ‘days off,’” the assassin insisted.

“So, you looking forward to the barbecue today?”

“Yeah,” Bucky said with a huge smile. “I think the kids will really enjoy it. So will I.”

“When we finish here, I’ll go clean the grill and then help Janice with food prep,” Gambit advised. 

“That’d be great. Hey, I wanna add some weight,” said Bucky.

Placing the barbell back on its rack, the two men added two more 25 pound disks.

“Dat’s 175. You sure you wanna go dat high dis soon?” the Cajun asked.

“I can handle it,” insisted Bucky.

“Okay den...”

Resuming his position on the bench, Bucky puffed when bending and straightening his arms against the added weight.

After 30 more lifts, his bionic arm ramped up as he lifted the barbell back onto the rack above his head.

“Okay...now it’s your turn!” he said smiling at his companion.

“Oh, _hell_ no, James! Some of dat weight got to come off of dat bar. Ain’t no way I’m starting out _dat_   high!” Gambit protested.

“Come on, princess. I’ll help you remove a few disks,” Bucky offered jokingly.

“It’s easy for you. You’ve got a bionic arm!” he said.

“This is true. Here, let’s get you down to 125 pounds so you don’t hurt those little chicken wings of yours,” Bucky chided as he used his right hand to squeeze Gambit’s thin but muscular left arm.

“Shut up and spot me, James,” he said with mock annoyance.

“I’ll count for you,” Bucky offered. “One, two, three, four, two, three, four, five, two, three, four...”

“Quit clowning, James! Dat ain’t funny!” the mutant admonished him.

“Okay! Okay! Now, where were we? Oh, yes! One, two, three, one, two...”

Lifting the barbell back onto its rack, Gambit sat up on the bench.

“Okay, dat’s it. I ain’t playing with you no more, James. You ain’t funny!” he said as he stood.

Bucky convulsed with laughter.

“I’m glad to see dat in spite of everything, you always keep your sense of humor.”

“Oh, come on! I was just having some fun. I’ll stop,” the assassin offered.

“No! It’s too late, James. You hurt my feelings,” Gambit said pretending to be offended. “Come on. Let’s get ready. We got a big day ahead of us.”

As Gambit wiped down the equipment, Bucky removed the extra weights from the barbell, which was easy using his bionic hand.

Just then, Colossus entered the room.

“Piotr, you come to join the workout club?” Gambit joked.

Ignoring his fellow mutant, the large young man glared at their house guest and asked, “Pochemu ty zdes', Zimniy Soldat?”

“Why am I here?” asked Bucky in English for Gambit’s benefit since he could not remember if his friend spoke Russian.

“I’m here because Gambit invited me. Is there a problem?”

“My problem is that as I recall, you superhumans have never been of assistance when we mutants needed you, so I wonder why you are among us now,” Colossus stated coldly.

I’m not a superhuman. I’m just an amputee with a metal arm,” Bucky protested.

“Yes, a metal arm that has blood on it – the blood of the many lives you’ve taken with it, Winter Soldier.”

Bucky’s gaze narrowed into an icy stare and before he could react, the huge Siberian’s mutant power turned his skin into metal.

In response, Bucky’s cybernetic arm began to ramp up as its gears hummed and the segmented plates opened and closed rhythmically. His open hands curled into fists.

“Listen, pal –” Bucky sneered through clenched teeth.

Interrupting him, Gambit said, “Gentlemen! We’re just here for a friendly workout. Let’s be civil.”

Looking at Colossus, Gambit asked quietly, “Piotr, what the hell’s gotten into you?”

The normally affable young man said, “This is a school for mutants. I don’t see why this assassin is here.”

Feeling like he was kicked in the teeth, Bucky relaxed and replied, “You’re right. This is your home, and I don’t want to cause any trouble. If you want me gone, I’m out of here.”

“No one’s going anywhere!” Gambit said grabbing Bucky’s prosthetic arm. “Let’s all calm down.”

The three men stood in silence for a moment with both Bucky and Gambit staring at Colossus. Finally, the house guest spoke.

“I told Janice I’d help her with art class this morning, so if you’ll excuse me...” Bucky said as he strode toward the door.

When Gambit was certain the soldier was out of earshot, he turned to Colossus and said, “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, copain, but you owe dat man an apology.”

“But –”

“No _‘buts!’_ He’s my guest and where I come from, guests are treated hospitably. What he did as Winter Soldier is not his fault. So, you make with the apology, or things gonna get decidedly unpleasant between you and me. Comprendre?”

As his skin returned to normal, Colossus said, “You should know that we don’t trust him.”

“And who is _‘we,’_ may I ask?

Hesitant to answer, the tall mutant looked at the floor.

“Well, I guess dat narrows it down,” the Cajun replied speculating that he meant either Nightcrawler or Deathlok – or perhaps both.

As he walked toward the door, Gambit glanced over his shoulder.

Colossus still would not look him in the eye.

“Do not forget this conversation,” he threatened the younger mutant who outweighed him by more than 100 pounds.

*  *  *  *  *  *

When Gambit entered the communal shower upstairs, he saw that Bucky was already standing beneath one of the showerheads letting the lukewarm water cascade over his solid mass of muscles.

The assassin had zero body fat and would have been the envy of a Greek god. His only flaws were the metal arm which was watertight under the shower and a small scar on his right shoulder.

Disrobing and joining him under an adjacent showerhead, the thin mutant stared at the tile in front of him not knowing what to say to his friend.

“I don’t blame him. If the tables were turned, I might feel the same way,” confessed Bucky.

“There’s no excuse for his behavior, James. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. He’s usually a gentle guy,” Gambit replied.

“He has a right to feel the way he does. I probably wouldn’t want me here, either,” the assassin said with his past deeds weighing heavily on him.

Looking his friend in the eye, Gambit said, “I wouldn’t worry what he or anyone else thinks, James. You know who you are, and dat’s all dat matters.”

Bucky wished his friend’s kind words could make him feel better, but they did not. He rinsed off the lather of soap covering his body, turned off the faucet, and left the shower without saying a word.

Gambit watched his friend wrap himself in a towel and leave the bathroom. He felt certain that Bucky’s anxiety stemmed from his relationship with Natasha. Although he tried not to meddle and only give advice, he felt compelled to get involved. So, the thief hatched a plan and set the wheels in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> copain = buddy  
> comprendre = understand  
> dat = that  
> dis = this  
> den = then


	9. The Anatomy of an Assassin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky fulfills a promise and then helps to get the picnic underway.

In Janice’s art class, Ruby was the only one who knew what had happened with Bucky earlier in the morning, which is why she was surprised to see the handsome, muscular young man enter the room and stand toward the back.

When their eyes met, she told him telepathically, ‘You should be resting!’

‘I’m fine. Besides, I promised I’d be here,’ he replied with slight bags under his big blue eyes.

“Good morning, Bucky! Students, our houseguest graciously agreed to model for us today,” said Janice. She waved him up to the front of the room where she had placed a stool and a motorcycle magazine for him to read.

“Good morning,” Bucky said to the students as he looked around the room. “Good morning, ma’am,” he said nodding to Janice.

“If you’d be so kind as to sit here, we can begin,” the lovely teacher requested.

Dressed in navy sweat pants, black athletic shoes, and a tight-fitting white t-shirt, Bucky approached the stool and picked up the magazine. He positioned the stool so that most of the students had a three quarters view of him once he sat down.

With his right foot on the floor and his left resting on the bottom rung of the stool, the assassin relaxed and read an article on the new Harley-Davidson Sportster series as he casually held the book in his cloaked left hand and rested his right hand on his right thigh.

Like her students, Janice sat at an easel sketching the young assassin whose fitness level surpassed that of the most conditioned Olympic athlete. His muscle tone and definition were exquisite, and he was effortlessly handsome in a natural way. To the students, he appeared to be about 25-years-old and certainly acted as such. They had no idea that he was actually a man of at least 90 calendar years.

Noticing that his long brown hair was partially covering the right side of his face, Janice approached him with a request.

“Would you mind if I use your elastic band to tie back your hair?” she asked pointing to the black band that he wore around this right wrist.

“Oh, not at all,” Bucky replied amicably. He held out his right hand so she could remove it.

Gently gathering his hair, the teacher bound it in a bun so she and the students could get a better view of the young man’s jaw line and facial bone structure.

On her way back to her easel, Janice turned on her MP3 player and selected Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony.

Bucky smiled and mouthed to her, ‘My favorite.’

Ruby sat motionless with her pen in her hand and nothing at all on her drawing paper while the other students sketched at their easels. Try as she might, she could not block out the internal chatter in Bucky’s mind. Although he acted as if nothing were wrong, she could hear how upset and confused he still was.

Glancing around the room, Ruby saw Daria sitting at the far wall. She was always a quick study. Armed with her drop-out blue pencils, she nimbly sketched a full-body portrait of the assassin and would later draw over the blue lines with black ink and fill in with Prismacolor® art pencils.

At the front of the room near Bucky sat Edith, who had a different method to her drawing. Her upper body portrait captured his chiseled jaw line, perfect nose, broad shoulders and chest. She preferred to draw with graphite and thus had softer, crisp lines to her sketches.

Next to Edith sat Alisa, who used a Number 2 pencil and her thumb to carefully measure the assassin’s proportions. She paid close attention to his huge right bicep and chest, and emphasized his perky nipples which were erect under his tight t-shirt.

Finally, Ruby focused on her teacher, Janice, who was so skilled that she easily rendered her handsome subject with watercolor capturing the deep blue of his eyes and the blush of his lips.

Ruby thought, ‘If only I could concentrate and draw!’

Just when she thought the session was going to be a complete waste, she began to draw Bucky’s eyes and the outline of his face. Then, she added just the hint of his hairline, the left side of his neck, and the outline of his left shoulder. It was a minimalist representation of her subject, yet it captured his essence perfectly.

Janice glanced at the clock and realized how quickly the hour had passed. It was time to start preparing for the barbecue.

As she placed her brushes in a cup of water, she said, “All right students. We need to end here. Let’s thank Sergeant Barnes for joining us today and so graciously posing as our model.”

The students stared at her wondering who ‘Sergeant Barnes’ was.

“I mean, thank ‘Bucky’ for being here today,” their teacher corrected herself.

“Thank you, Bucky!” the students said in unison.

“You’re welcome,” he replied with a smile.

While the students began to pack their supplies and file out of the room, Bucky approached Janice.

“Thank you for having me, ma’am,” he said shyly.

“Bucky, why do you always call me ‘ma’am,’?” she asked.

He thought about it for a moment and then replied, “I don’t know. Just force of habit, I guess.”

“Well, there’s no need to be so formal. Please call me Janice.”

“Yes, ma’am – I mean Janice,” he agreed.

“Well, Bucky, I need to get things started in the kitchen if we’re going to get the barbecue underway. Does your offer still stand to clean the grill?” she asked.

“Yes! Absolutely. I’ll get started on that straight away and let you know when it’s ready for the coals,” he said.

“Thank you, Bucky. Oh! If you see Gambit, could you remind him that I could use his help?”

“Sure thing!”

*  *  *  *  *  *

As Bucky walked onto the patio behind the school, he noticed that there were only a few teens scattered around the grounds. He thought it was unusual for a school to be so absent of children. That was until he reminded himself that today was a Saturday.

‘I guess kids sleep in these days,’ the former army brat thought to himself. The idea was almost foreign to him since sleeping in was something he rarely did.

Shrugging his shoulders, he set about using a wire brush to clean the grill. It was tough work, but he was up to the task and glad to have a chore to take his mind off his worries.

After the grill was free from debris, Bucky used the nearby hose to rinse it. Then, he went inside to let Janice know it was ready.

Before he reached the kitchen doorway, he could already hear Janice and Gambit laughing and talking as they placed the chicken drumsticks and meat patties on platters and then covered them with cling wrap.

“Oh, there you are, Bucky! Gambit was already here working when I arrived,” the lovely chef said.

“Well, since James got me up early to join him in the fitness room, I thought I’d get a jump on things while you were in art class,” said the Cajun.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Bucky apologized.

“It was a pleasure to spot you, Sergeant,” Gambit said with a salute.

“Well, the grill is clean and I can start the coals if you’d like,” offered Bucky.

“Wonderful! Now, all I need is a volunteer to peel some potatoes,” Janice said with a broad smile.

Turning and walking toward the doorway, Gambit replied, “Tell you what, mon chère. I think _I’ll_ go start the coals and let the Sergeant here peel potatoes. After all, he must have done a _lot_  of dat in the army!”

“You rat! Get _back_ here!” Bucky yelled as his friend disappeared into the hallway.

Laughing, Janice said, “I’ll call Jared and a few of the other kids to come help you. You’ll be done in no time.”

Looking a bit shame faced, Bucky confessed, “He’s right, though. I was a bit of a tear-away on the base, so I peeled more potatoes than I care to admit.”

“I wouldn’t want to put you through that again.”

“No worries. I’ve got more experience than anyone here does. I’ll just wash my hands and get started,” he said.

Just then, Janice saw Jared and his new friend Kyle walk past the kitchen.

“Ah! Just the person I want to see. You boys sit at that table and help Bucky peel potatoes,” she implored.

“Aw, Mom! Do we _have_ to?” Jared whined.

“Jared, I don’t ask much of you, so please don’t give me a hard time.”

“Oh, all right,” the boy said as he entered the kitchen to help.

“You too, Kyle. Both of you wash your hands and take these peelers. Bucky will show you what to do,” she said.

When the boys joined him, Bucky smiled at Jared and whispered, “Be nice to your mother. One day you’ll miss her.”

He did not understand what Bucky meant, but he knew that he should listen to what he said because it was probably good advice.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Just as Janice said, the three peelers were finished in no time.

“Great job, boys!” the chef proclaimed. “I’m commuting your sentence, so Jared and Kyle, you can go.”

“Thanks, Mom! See you later, Bucky,” Jared yelled as the two boys ran from the room.

“He’s a good kid. You’ve done a great job with him,” the assassin remarked.

Frowning, Janice said, “Thank you, Bucky. It’s hard for a boy to grow up without a father. I do what I can, but it’s not the same.”

“Yes, I _do_ know,” he confessed as memories of the good times spent with his father came to mind.

Janice listened intently as the most lethal man on the planet bared his soul to her.

“My mom died when I was 12 years old and my dad when I was 14. I became angry at the world and lashed out at everyone around me except my little sister Becca. It wasn’t until I met my friend Steve when I was 15 that life started to have meaning again. He took me under his wing and was a big brother to me when I needed one most. For that, I’m forever indebted to him. All Jared needs is the right man in his life, and it’ll make the same difference for him that it did for me.”

“You’re a good man, Bucky. Your father would be proud of you,” Janice said patting his right hand.

Thinking of his past deeds as the Winter Soldier, he knew that was not true. However, he appreciated the spirit in which the compliment was given.

“Well, let’s get these spuds cubed for potato salad so they can chill for a little while,” she chirped trying to lighten the mood.

It was approaching lunchtime, and Janice knew the students would soon begin to grow hungry. She and Gambit would need to start grilling shortly.

“Them coals are getting hot, so let’s see what we can throw on da grill, yeah?” said Gambit rubbing his hands together as he entered the kitchen.

“I thought you were going to help Janice with the cooking,” said Bucky accusingly.

“I said cooking – not _peeling._ You done?” the Cajun asked.

Bucky sighed and said, “Yes, Mr. LeBeau. The potatoes have been peeled and are cooling.”

“Dat’s Chef LeBeau, and don’t take dat tone with me, James, or I’ll seat you at da little kids’ table,” he advised.

“Break it up, boys,” laughed Janice. “Gambit, you can take that platter of chicken outside, and Bucky, please carry this one.”

The two young men each lifted a platter and walked toward the door.

“Oh...so we’re rockin’ a ‘man bun’ today, are we?” asked Gambit.

“Yes, ‘we’ are, so if anyone finds hair in the food today, it won’t be mine,” he said looking at his friend’s long bangs which covered the right side of his face.

“Point taken, mon ami.”

When the duo reached the grill, they placed the platters on a side table.

Before he did anything else, Gambit pulled a green bandana from his back jeans pocket and wrapped it around his head so that his bangs were slicked back under it.

“You happy, James?” he asked with a smile.

“Much better. Now, get to work!” Bucky told him.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Gambit picked up a pair of tongs, grasped a folded paper towel with them, and poured a bit of olive oil onto the towel. He then rubbed the oily towel on the grill before placing the chicken onto it.

Returning to the kitchen, Bucky picked up a platter of burger patties. There, he saw Janice with a small plastic bowl which appeared to have two chicken drumsticks inside.

“What have you got there, Janice?” the inquisitive assassin asked.

“I didn’t marinate these two. They’re a little treat for Sébastien. I’m going to grill them up for him so he can enjoy the picnic, too!” she said proudly.

Bucky did not know what to say. He was still fragile from his episode that morning, so he was finding it hard to hold back tears of gratitude.

Finally, before he could stop himself, he leaned over and kissed Janice on the cheek.

“That’s so thoughtful of you,” he said with a cracking voice.

“It’s truly my pleasure,” she said sensing that he was for some reason a bit emotional.

She knew he was in the army and thought perhaps he had post-traumatic stress syndrome, but she did not want to ask. Not knowing the details of his time as the Winter Soldier, she felt that perhaps that’s why he loved Sébastien so much – because the cat alleviated his anxiety and helped to sooth him. She was not certain of any of this but if her kindness to his cat made him happy, that was all that mattered.

Smiling up at him, she advised, “After you take the platter out, why don’t you go get Sébastien and bring him down? I think he’ll enjoy the school grounds.”

“Thanks, Janice. I will,” he said.

By the time Bucky and Janice reached the grill, Gambit was already turning the chicken.

“We gonna pass a good time today, yeah!” the Cajun yelled. “Jubie is handling the music, and Piotr’s got a group setting up tables and chairs.”

“It looks like things are coming together. I’ll mix the potato salad. Bucky, before you get Sébastien, would you help with the paper plates and napkins,” the chef asked.

“Of course,” he said.

Upon his return, he looked at Gambit who was enjoying his job at the grill.

“Do you think the kids will like this?”

“What – da food? Cher, teens will eat almost anything as long as you smother it in barbecue sauce or cheese,” the mutant laughed.

“No, I mean the whole experience. Janice said most of the kids have never been to a barbecue, so maybe they won’t like it,” Bucky worried.

“It’s Saturday. Dey’re outside listening to music and being fed on disposable plates without the worry of cleaning up after demselves. What’s not to love about dat?”

Smirking, Bucky said, “Yeah. I guess you’re right. Listen, I’m going to get Sébastien. I’ll be right back.”

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

When Bucky opened his bedroom door, Sébastien ran to him and tried to climb up the left leg of his sweat pants.

“Okay, boy! I miss you, too,” he cooed lifting the black cat to his chest.

He knew it was not fair to leave him cooped up in his room, but he feared that the kitten might be trampled by students who were always carelessly running down this hallway or that.

“You’re coming to the picnic by special request,” he said. “Let’s go make some friends.”

*  *  *  *  *  *

Sébastien was nervous when Bucky carried him onto the school’s back grounds, so he climbed up his chest and perched himself on the assassin’s right shoulder.

“Ow ow ow!” Bucky yelled. “Watch the claws, pal!”

“Sébastien, you need to calm down,” said Gambit.

The kitten hissed at him and glared menacingly.

“Remember, mon ami, I used to feed you and will today if you behave,” he advised turning the two pieces of chicken that were meant for the cat.

Kissing his cat on his head, Bucky chirped, “Be a good boy now, buddy.”

Janice immediately noticed the change in the young assassin from the way he was earlier. The anxiety was gone, and he smiled and laughed easily. She was glad that the kitten seemed to have such a calming effect on him. She was happy that it brought him pleasure.

With the food prepared and placed on an 8 foot table near the grill, the students formed a line in anticipation of a delicious meal.

“Why are we eating outside today?” asked Frenzy.

“Janice said it’s something called a ‘picnic,’” Karma replied.

“I’m not sure whose idea this was, but the food sure smells good!” advised Luke.

One by one, the students stepped up to the serving table and helped themselves to chicken drumsticks, burger patties and buns. As they proceeded down the line, they added lettuce and sliced tomatoes to their plates as well as kettle potato chips which Bucky persuaded Janice to let them have this once.

The vegetarian students were not forgotten as they found their burgers on a separate serving plate. They were excited to be enjoying the meal with their friends.

Janice removed the two unseasoned pieces of chicken from the grill and placed them on a plate. Carefully removing the meat from the bones with a sharp knife, she placed it on two leaves of lettuce which she had put in a paper bowl and handed it to Bucky.

“The meat shouldn’t be too hot for Sébastien. It’s been on the cooler side of the grill,” she advised.

“Thanks again, Janice,” the assassin said taking the bowl with his cloaked metal hand and putting his right hand on her shoulder.

Before leaving the service table, Bucky placed another paper bowl under the one containing Sébastien’s chicken. He then pulled a water bottle out of the large cooler which Colossus had dutifully filled. Sliding the bottle into the pocket of his sweat pants, he strode over toward the dining tables.

Noticing Ruby sitting at a table with her friends, Bucky walked up behind her.

She did not know what to expect when she saw the look of shock on the faces of her friends.

“Is this seat taken?” the assassin asked pointing to the chair next to hers.

As her friends giggled, Ruby smiled up at him and said, “No, it’s not.”

“Do you mind if my friend and I sit here,” he asked nodding toward the feline who was still perched on Bucky’s shoulder.

“Not at all,” she said pulling the chair away from the table.

Squatting so as not to cause the kitten to fall from his shoulder, Bucky removed the second bowl from the bottom of the one containing Sébastien’s food and placed both bowls under the chair. He then lifted the cat from his shoulder and lowered him to the ground next to the food.  Pulling the water bottle from his pocket, he opened it and poured a small amount into the empty bowl.

“That should keep him from being stepped on,” the assassin said with confidence.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Ruby offered.

“Thank you, Ruby,” he said.

She smiled as the deadliest man on the planet left to get his own food.

“He likes you, Ruby,” Edith said giggling.

“She likes him, too,” chirped Alisa.

“Shh! Be quiet!” the telepath scolded.

When Bucky returned with his food, the girls abruptly stopped giggling. They stared at him when he looked away and when he turned back to them, they looked at the table.

“Okay, what’s going on ladies?” the assassin asked.

They all looked at each other and laughed, but none of them would respond.

Looking at Ruby, he asked, “So what’s the joke?”

‘They think you’re cute,’ she told him telepathically.

Bucky stared at her as his face quickly became flushed from embarrassment.

‘Oh...’ he thought.

Suddenly, Edith blurted out, “Can we see your arm? It changes, doesn’t it?”

“Well...I’m not sure I should do that here,” he said giving it some thought as a strand of his hair that had come loose from the bun fluttered across his face.

“You don’t have to do that,” Ruby advised.

Before he could respond, Janice stepped to the center of the assembled tables.

“Students and faculty, may I have your attention?” she began. “On behalf of all of us, I’d like to offer our sincere gratitude to our house guest, Sergeant James “Bucky” Barnes for suggesting and providing this delightful picnic that we share today. He’s only been here a few days but has already become a welcomed addition to our school. It’s with sincere appreciation that we thank you, Bucky.”

Lost for words, the assassin simply smiled and waved at the assembly. He was happy to see that the students were enjoying his gift to them and hoped they would cherish its memory for as long as he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dey’re = they’re  
> demselves = themselves  
> dat = that  
> da = the  
> cher = dear (the male equivalent of the female "chère." Both are pronounced “shaw.”)


	10. Drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets a surprise visit at the school.

Two miles before a speeding car reached the school, a drone was deployed to investigate it. It was a cobalt blue 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR convertible with a roll bar, and the drone followed it closely sending video back to the campus as Deathlok pulled up files on the car’s driver based on facial recognition.

As the Shelby came to a stop at the school’s gates, the drone hovered in a holding pattern above it. For five minutes the driver sat still staring at the drone waiting for the iron gates to open or for a school inhabitant to approach. There was no call box at the gate, so for the driver it was a simply waiting game.

Finally, after a few more moments, both Deathlok and Colossus emerged from the school’s entrance and approached the front gates. With their arms folded, they each stood about three yards from the gate’s two brick posts and stared at the car’s occupant.

The driver’s attention was diverted from the drone to the men but otherwise, there was still no movement inside the vehicle. Continuing to sit motionless behind the wheel, the driver looked back and forth from the man on the left to the man on the right.

Suddenly, the double-door entrance to the school opened, and out stepped Principal Munroe. Her determined walk let the driver know that she was not in the mood for nonsense. As she approached the gates, they slowly opened and the stoic principal positioned herself between the two security men.

Tentatively, the driver opened the car door. Placing a pair of size 8 black boots on the gravel driveway, Natasha Romanov emerged from the coupe and closed the driver’s door behind her. She was dressed in formfitting jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt. The redhead stood by the car motionless as she and the principal stared at each other. Finally taking a few steps toward the gate, she addressed her welcoming committee.

Beginning to speak, she said, “I am –”

“We know who you are, Black Widow.  Why are you here?” demanded Storm.

“I am here for James Barnes...Bucky,” she declared acknowledging that most people called him by his nickname.

“You have come without my approval, just as ‘your Bucky’ did. We are not in the habit of allowing visitors here without my prior authorization. It is a danger to our students and our school,” the principal advised.

“Storm, I don’t want any trouble here. If you won’t let me in, then send James out,” instructed Natasha.

Neither Storm nor her two guards moved, so Natasha slowly approached the headmaster. When she came within two feet of her, both Deathlok and Colossus took a step toward the women. Storm immediately raised both hands to indicate that the men should stand down. They remained where they stood but at the ready in case the standoff escalated.

“Send. Out. My. James,” Natasha sneered as she looked up from under knitted eyebrows with her chin almost touching her chest.

 _“‘Your’_   James? Yes, I thought he looked a bit beaten down by authority. Now I know _whose_ authority it is,” Storm quipped.

Natasha was undeterred.

The two women were locked in a staring match with their eyes boring holes into each other’s. Suddenly, a small swirl of wind began to circle around their feet picking up leaves as it quickly grew larger until it enveloped them up to the shoulders.

Natasha remarked, “I’m unimpressed by your party tricks, headmaster. Do you really wish your children to see this?”

Without turning, Storm realized that students might be watching from the windows, and she did not want them to witness the confrontation.

As the swirl of wind quickly dissipated, the headmaster asked, “Do you see the spectacle that you’ve already caused?”

“I have no issue with you, headmaster. I am here for only one reason, and that is to take my James home with me. As I said, either let me in or send him out,” she replied.

After a moment, Storm said, “Follow me,” and turned on her heels.

She would rather have this play out behind closed doors instead of in plain view of her charges, so she led Natasha into the school leaving Deathlok and Colossus where they stood.

Upon reaching her office, Storm allowed Natasha to enter first and then closed the door behind them.

Standing behind her desk, she informed the intruder, “It’s not as if we’ve been keeping him here against his will. I’ll have you know that I didn’t want him here at the start, but the children have grown fond of him, so I allowed him to stay.”

Taking an uncharacteristic opportunity to rub salt in a wound, Storm continued, “It’s as if he didn’t want to go home...”

Just as uncharacteristically, Natasha flinched at the stinging remark.

“You would be wise to mind your tongue, headmaster,” she threatened. “You shouldn’t speak of things you know nothing about.”

Becoming bored with the conversation, Storm stepped over to her desk and pressed a button on a small control panel.

“Yes, principal Munroe?” said Deathlok on the other end of the com line.

“Find the Winter Soldier and bring him to my office,” ordered Storm.

“Yes, ma’am,’ the cyborg said.

Staring at Natasha, Storm offered, “You may sit.”

“I’d rather stand,” replied the Black Widow.

“Suit yourself,” said the regal mutant.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Just as Jubilee and Gambit were posing to take a selfie together, the Cajun saw Deathlok walking onto the school’s back grounds heading straight toward Bucky.

“Hey! Now we’ll have to take another one,” Jubilee said as she looked at the photo and saw that when she snapped the picture, he was looking in a different direction.

By the time Deathlok reached him, Bucky was just about to comply with Edith and Alisa’s request for him to uncloak his cybernetic arm.

“Winter Soldier, you are wanted in the headmaster’s office,” the cyborg informed him.

“Uh...okay...” the assassin replied wondering if he had done something that might have upset Storm.

When the two men reached Gambit, he joined them as they strode toward the building.

“Gambit, your presence was not requested,” Deathlok said.

“I’m going anyway,” the Cajun remarked.

When the three men reached the headmaster’s office, Bucky opened the double doors.

Stepping inside, the assassin said, “Did I do something –?” stopping abruptly when he saw the back of Natasha’s head.

The assassin’s heart pounded as she turned to look at him.

“James,” she said with the slightest hint of a grin on her face.

With his mouth agape, Bucky stood staring at her as his eyes began to tear.

“How...?” is all he could manage remembering that before she left on her Avengers’ mission, he had not told her where he was going.

The two assassins approached each other and kissed passionately for a moment ignoring the others in the room.

Natasha did not wish to tell Bucky how she knew where to find the school because she was worried what he might do.

She had secretly placed a satellite tracker on his cell phone so that she knew where he was at all times. One thing that she did not know was that Bucky was fully aware of it.

The assassin detected the sat tracker immediately and had initially planned to remove it. However, after giving it some thought, he decided that in the long run it might be a good idea. He was the best assassin in the world, but there remained almost a 1 percent chance that something could go wrong one day while he was on a mission. Therefore, although it was part of her controlling nature to keep tabs on him, he decided it was better for him to leave it and pretend that he did not know about it.

Another thing that she did not know is that he had placed a sat tracker on _her_  cell phone. However, unlike Natasha, he had never used it.

“How did you find this school, Black Widow?” asked the headmaster.

Natasha’s mind raced as she stood with all eyes on her as everyone waited for an answer. She stared at Storm’s desk while she quickly evaluated plausible scenarios.

Finally, Gambit spoke.

“I told her,” he proclaimed.

Everyone turned and looked at him.

Natasha appreciated that he was willing to take the blame for her, but she did not wish for him to suffer the consequences.

 _“You_ told her where to find the school?” asked Storm clearly annoyed.

“They needed to talk,” Gambit said quietly as his blood started to run cold. He knew that he was now facing stern consequences from Storm.

Smiling, the headmaster advised him, “You and I are going to have a very, _very_ serious conversation later, Remy.”

Taking a big swallow, he knew that the smile was malevolent – not friendly.

Looking at Bucky for a long moment, the headmaster said, “I’d like to speak to Sergeant Barnes alone. Everyone, please leave us.”

Becoming concerned, Natasha looked from Bucky to the headmaster and back again.

Gambit took her by the arm and led her into the hallway. Following, Deathlok shut the door behind them.

“Sergeant Barnes, I normally would never say this to a non-mutant, but you’re welcome to stay here if you don’t wish to go,” Storm said.

“Why wouldn’t I want to go?” the confused assassin asked.

“You seemed uneasy when you first arrived. Then, I saw a change in you. We all did. If there’s a reason you don’t wish to leave with your mate, I am offering you safe haven,” she explained.

When Bucky realized what she meant, he sank into one of the chairs.

The headmaster sat in front of him on the edge of her desk as she waited for him to digest the full meaning of her offer.

Bucky had heard about battered women seeking safe haven to escape an abusive mate. He had never been offered such sanctuary, nor did he think he would ever need it.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Meanwhile, in the foyer Natasha asked Gambit, “What’s going on in there?”

“How should I know?” the Cajun replied.

Walking past them, a male student who had seen the Widow’s confrontation with his headmaster at the gate said, “Hey, girl! Sweet ride.”

“Thanks,” Natasha said glancing at the teen.

“How do you keep that old coupe rolling?”

“My James can keep _any_ machine running. Aren’t you late for class or something?” she asked dismissively.

“Nah, girl. It’s Saturday,” he said looking her up and down several times and smiling at what he saw.

“Luke, why don’t you go have another hamburger?” the Cajun asked.

“I’m not hungry,” the student said without looking at him.

“Eat it anyway,” Gambit said with more bass in his voice.

Turning quickly to leave, Luke said, “Okay...”

Grabbing her by the arm and practically dragging her, Gambit said, “We need to talk, but not here.”

“HEY!” Natasha yelped as he pulled her down the hall.

*  *  *  *  *  *

“Of course, it’s your decision, Sergeant. I just wanted to let you know you are welcome here,” Storm said.

“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate that, but it’s time that Natasha and I have a good long talk.”

“Very well,” said Storm standing.

Bucky rose also and walked to the doors. He paused to look back at her.

The headmaster gave him a reassuring nod and turned to look out the window.

*  *  *  *  *  *

When Bucky returned to the picnic tables, he did not see Sébastien under his chair and immediately began to panic.

Fearing the worst, he called, “Sébastien!”

“He’s right here,” Ruby said as she, Edith and Alisa sat petting him.

Relieved, the assassin took a deep breath and said, “I thought I’d lost him.”

“No, we’re just playing with him,” Ruby said. “I think he likes us.”

“I’m glad to hear that he’s behaving himself. Listen, girls, I’m sorry but I need to go,” Bucky said sadly.

“Go?” Edith asked.

“I’m afraid so. Thanks for looking after Sébastien,” he said to the unhappy girls as he took him from Ruby.

“But we don’t want you to go,” said Alisa.

“I know, but it’s time. I won’t forget how kind you were to us,” he said scratching his yawning cat on his head.

Speaking to him telepathically, Ruby said, ‘Take care of yourself, Bucky. I’ll miss you.’

‘I’ll miss you, too,’ he replied.

Ruby stood, and she and the assassin embraced.

‘I’m always here if you need me. Phantom: 914-555-2233. Don’t forget it,’ she conveyed to him.

‘SoldierBoy won’t forget,’ said Bucky.

He smiled and turned to leave.

As he walked toward the patio, Jared looked over from his table and yelled, “Bucky! Where are you going?”

He stopped to let the child catch up to him.

“I need to take care of something back at home, Jared. You be good to your mom and always do what she says. Don’t ever let anything come between you. You hear?”

“Yes, sir,” he said sadly.

The two hugged and before they parted, Bucky rubbed the child’s head. 

Though he could not put it into words, Jared realized that in the short time Bucky had been there, the assassin was the best male role model he ever had.

On his way into the school, Bucky saw Janice in the hallway.

“So, it’s true. You’re leaving,” she said with tearing eyes.

“Yeah. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to sort things out at home. I can’t tell you how much this visit has meant to me. Thanks for everything you did for me and Sébastien. I’ll miss you and always cherish my time here,” he said holding back tears.

“It was our pleasure. If you ever need us, you know where to find us,” she replied.

Bucky kissed her on the left cheek and then started climbing the stairs.

When he reached the landing, the assassin stopped dead in his tracks. He saw something as clear as day but tried to convince himself that he was mistaken.

‘It can’t be. It just CAN’T BE!’ he thought.

With his head swimming and his knees buckling, Bucky laid his hand on the wall for support.

His feet felt like they were encased in concrete as he dragged himself to his room. Almost mechanically, he opened the door and closed it behind him. Placing Sébastien on the bed, he sat next to him and stared blankly in front of him.

The assassin sat motionless for nearly five minutes.

Suddenly, Natasha opened his door without knocking. She held her right hand to her side as if she were hurt but made sure that he did not see it.

“Come on. Let’s get going. We have a drive ahead of us,” she said as she began to remove his clothes from the chest of drawers and put them into his duffle bag.

Bucky continued to sit unresponsive.

“Here! Change into these. You reek of barbecue, and I don’t want that smell in my car,” she said tossing a clean t-shirt and jeans at him.

The clothes landed next to him on the bed, but he continued to be lost in thought.

“James! Get up and change your clothes,” she insisted.

It was only when she approached him and started to pull his t-shirt over his head that he became slightly more responsive.

After she tossed his t-shirt onto the floor, Bucky stood. Natasha pulled down his sweat pants and waited for him to step out of them.

“What’s wrong with you, anyway?” she snapped.

The assassin did not answer as he dressed in the clean clothes that she chose for him.

He walked over to pick up Sébastien’s pet carrier and gently placed the kitten inside.

“You’re taking the cat?” she asked.

Turning to look at her over his shoulder, Bucky gave her a deathly stare that would have made anyone else’s blood run cold.

The Widow sighed and shook her head. Gathering his duffle bag, she placed it in his bionic hand while he carried his cat’s cage with the other.

Natasha opened the door, and the two assassins stepped into the hallway.

As Bucky walked down to the foyer, he stared at the floor never looking at the students and faculty who had come in from the picnic to see him off.

Students took turns saying, “Bye, Bucky!”

He did not respond.

When the couple approached the gates, they slowly opened for them.

Natasha opened the driver’s side door and sat behind the steering wheel as Bucky placed his duffle bag on the back seat and  Sébastien’s carrier on the floor below it.

Before sitting in the passenger’s seat, Bucky stood and took a long look at the school and the students and faculty who stood on its front steps. There, he saw headmaster Storm hugging Ruby, and each had a sad expression on her face.

He took a deep breath, sat, and closed his door.

Natasha started the engine and turned the car around. She glanced at the school in her rear view mirror but noticed that Bucky never looked back.

*  *  *  *  *  *

It was only ten minutes into their drive, and already the silence was annoying Natasha.

“We’ve got a bit of a drive. Are you going to pout the entire way?” she scolded.

When he did not answer, she became exasperated.

“Hey! I’m talking to you.”

Finally speaking, he asked, “Am I your dirty little secret?”

“What?” she asked.

“You heard me. Am I your little secret – the guy you can’t be seen with?”

“James, you know practically everyone I know. How could you be a _‘secret’?”_ she insisted.

“Don’t mock me, Nat!” he warned her.

“Well, you sound ridiculous! Honestly, what the _hell_  is wrong with you?”

“Why don’t you ever tell me where you’re going when you leave on a mission?” he asked.

“James, you know full well that those missions are on a need-to-know basis. Besides, even if I _could_ tell you, I wouldn’t because you’d come barging in trying to save me. I don’t need to be saved. I can take care of myself,” she explained.

“Yes, I _know_ you can. I _trained_ you – remember?” he snapped.

Natasha sighed and rolled her eyes.

Bucky could no longer contain his rage, and he exploded.

 _“I SAW YOU!”_   he screamed.

Natasha was so startled that she flinched.

 _“What?”_ she asked.

Speaking just above a whisper and through clenched teeth he repeated, “I. Saw. You.”

“What are you talking about, James?”

“I saw you go into his room. You probably laughed at me for being fool enough to trust you,” he said visibly shaking.

The Widow steered the car onto the shoulder of the road and slowed it to a stop.

“James, what the _hell_ has gotten into you?” she demanded. “I’ve never seen you like this before!”

“I trusted both of you, but you betrayed me. I saw you go into Gambit’s room,” he said unable to look her in the eye.

She sat for a moment as she tried to imagine what he must be thinking. She wondered how she could have been so careless.

“James. It’s not what you think,” she began.

“Oh no?” he asked. “Well, you’re so good at everything else, why don’t you _tell_ me what I think?”

“He wanted to talk to me,” Natasha said.

“Oh, I’ll _bet_ he did,” the assassin sneered sarcastically.

“Look, I don’t know what you told those people but if you _must_ know, the man threatened me,” she said.

Bucky took a moment to consider if he could be wrong and she was telling the truth.

His demeanor finally began to soften and he asked, “He threatened you?”

“Yes, he did,” she said matter-of-factly.

“But –” the assassin began as he tried to form a question but could not.

“It seems that your dear friends at the school don’t care for me much. He said that if any harm came to you, the entire staff would hunt me down and make me pay for it. Huh…nice…” she informed him.

Bucky was awash with emotions. He did not know if he was more embarrassed that he was wrong about Natasha or more honored that his new friends would stand up for him so.

“Nat, I’m so sorry,” he said.

She did not reply. She simply started the car and steered it back onto the highway.

The two were silent all the way home.


	11. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Natasha return from the school, but there’s a storm brewing that neither is prepared for.

When Bucky and Natasha reached her apartment overlooking the East River, she parked the car and walked to her front door still miffed that Bucky accused her of having a tryst with Gambit.

Reprimanding him, she said, “I ought to make you sleep on the sofa for that little stunt you pulled in the car.”

Bucky sulked but did not respond.

Upon entering the apartment, she dropped her keys onto a side table next to the front door.

He placed his duffle bag and Sébastien’s carrier on the rug under a nearby coat rack. Squatting, he opened the door to the kitten’s carrier and let him out.

I’m in enough trouble, so be a good boy,” he told the cat. 

Sébastien sneezed and then licked Bucky’s right hand.

Standing, the assassin followed Natasha to try to smooth things over. He did not know if he had the drive to continue in their relationship anymore but for now, he was determined to try.

Attempting to make things right, he said, “I’m sorry. I just...I…”

“I’m really not in the mood for talking, James,” she said with her back to him as she removed her jeans to change into something more comfortable. 

Bucky walked over and turned her to face him. He placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her softly on the forehead.

“I’m gonna make this up to you,” he whispered softly.

“Well, why don’t we start right now?” she asked as she began to unzip his jeans.

Out of the corner of her eye, Natasha saw something small and black moving toward her bed. With her eyes as big as saucers, she opened her mouth in shock as she watched Sébastien try to climb up the side of her white comforter.

“Oh no you don’t!” she yelled and strode over to him.

Grabbing the feline by the scruff of his neck, she carried him toward the bedroom door.

Bucky followed with his hands outstretched trying to snatch the kitten away from her.

“Baby, no!” he begged her.

“I told you I don’t want a cat, James! Why didn’t you leave it at the school?” she asked as she dropped Sébastien outside the door and slammed it. Turning, she walked past Bucky and continued to undress.

“I didn’t _leave_  him because he’s _my_ _cat,”_ he declared.

When she turned around, he was still standing at the door staring at the bottom corner of it as if he could see Sébastien through it.

“I’m tired. Come to bed, James. We have a lot of making up to do.”

He sighed heavily and then turned toward the bed. Walking to the other side of it, he removed his clothes and sat with his back to Natasha.

Sliding under the sheets, she put her left hand on his back.

“Lie down honey,” she implored.

Without moving he asked her, “Nat? How did you know I was at the school?”

She was silent for a moment while she chose her words carefully.

“Gambit contacted Hawkeye while he and I were on our mission. He asked Hawk to tell me that you needed me,” she said still unaware that Bucky knew about the satellite tracker she put on his cell phone.

“So, Gambit told Hawkeye where the school is?”

After another pause, she said, “Yes. Then, Hawkeye told me.”

“Hmm...” he said thinking that she might be lying. He then reminded himself that he needed to get even with Hawkeye for telling stories about him to Gambit.

When Bucky lay on his back, Natasha slid her hand between his legs and began to rhythmically tug his cock. When it was hard, she mounted him, guided it into her, and began to thrust her hips.

Bucky rested his hands on her thighs, but that was the only reaction he registered. He looked over her right shoulder and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Noticing his lack of interest, she demanded, “Where are you?”

When he did not respond, she pinched his nipples as hard as she could between her thumbs and index fingers and yelled, _“Where are you?”_

“Ow! What the _hell,_ Nat? YOU’RE HURTING ME!” he screamed.

When she refused to let go, he grabbed her wrists and squeezed them until she released him.

“Well, if you’re not even going to try, what’s the point?” she sneered as she slid off of him and rolled over giving him her back.

She knew his mind was far from that room, and it angered her.

Bucky sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Too much had happened that day, and he needed his own space to think things through.

Just as he was about to stand, she gave him an ultimatum.

“If you leave this bed, don’t come back tonight, James,” she warned him.

The words were like daggers in his heart. For ten minutes, he sat on the side of the bed frozen in indecision.

Gambit’s words, ‘Be your own man,’ kept floating through his mind, so he made one of the most difficult decisions of his life. 

When Natasha felt his weight leave the bed, she said, “Good-night, James,” without turning to look at him.

The muscular assassin stood with his back to her for another three minutes before he reached for his clothes. He dressed, opened the door, and closed it behind him.

Bucky found Sébastien in the living room not far from his pet carrier. He was mewing repeatedly which he always did when he was lonely.

“Let’s go, pal,” he said as he placed the kitten into his carrier and opened the front door.

Bucky did not look back as he walked to his motorcycle. It was not a long drive to his apartment but in the mood he was in, it felt like it was.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Upon arriving at his tiny, dark apartment, Bucky poured water into a bowl and placed it on the floor of his kitchenette. He then walked to his small bedroom and plopped onto the twin bed.

Lying on his back, he closed his eyes for a moment and wondered how everything could have gone so horribly wrong.

Opening his eyes again, Bucky looked to his left at his work table which took up almost half of the cramped room. There, he saw the two projects he had been working on before he left to meet Gambit in New Orleans: a watch he was repairing and a model spaceship he was building. He figured that with the state of things between Natasha and himself, he would have plenty of time to finish both. Instead, he removed his shoes, sat at his stool, and decided to work on something else.

When Sébastien entered the room, Bucky lifted him onto the bed.

“You can watch, but I don’t want you too close, buddy,” he said worried that the kitten would somehow injure himself if he placed him on the work table next to him.

Sébastien seemed to be content enough just to be with the assassin, and Bucky felt the same way. He scratched the kitten on his head and resumed working.

Reaching under his work table, he retrieved a large tool box which rested atop an artist’s cart. Placing the tool box on the table, he opened it and pulled out a 5 inch by 7 inch brown box. Inside, there was a small, blue jewelry box – the kind in which diamond rings were usually found.

Bucky carefully opened the jewelry box and placed a mechanical device inside. It had a coil which surrounded a small round container about the size of a thimble. Into the container, he poured a neon green powder and glued a small piece of wax paper over it so the powder would not spill. He added a spring which would trigger the mechanism when the box was next opened, and then he closed it tight.

Packing the jewelry box in bubble wrap, he placed it inside the larger brown box and inserted a note for its recipient.

A few hours had passed since he began tinkering with the jewelry box. Soon, the sun began to set and his eyes grew tired. He rose and poured food into a bowl for Sébastien and made sure there was still enough water as well. Then, he returned to his room, removed all his clothes, and went to bed.

*  *  *  *  *  *

The next morning at 6:30, Bucky was awakened by the sound of a neighbor mowing his lawn. He sat up and yawned as he stretched.

Hearing that Bucky was awake, Sébastien trotted from the kitchenette to the assassin’s room and sat just inside the doorway.

“Good morning to you, too,” Bucky said as he stood and bent to pick up the kitten.

All of a sudden, he heard a knock at his front door. The sound was strange to him because in all the years that he lived there, Bucky never had a visitor before – not even Steve or a mail carrier.

The assassin silently stepped over and flipped on a monitor which stood on the top left-hand corner of his work table. It was connected to fiber optic cameras which he had placed around the outside of the tiny unit.

The monitor gave him four views of the exterior, and he was shocked to see what was captured in each shot: Natasha.

She had never been to his apartment before, nor had he told her where it was located.

The Widow assumed that the Winter Soldier had camera surveillance surrounding the premises although looking around, she could not readily see it.

“I know you’re in there, James,” she said as she knocked again.

The assassin stood very still as he watched her on the monitor. He was the best sniper on the planet and could remain perfectly still for hours at a time. If it was a waiting game she wanted, they both knew that he would win.

She tried to look through one of the windows but could not find so much as a part in the dark curtains through which to peek.

Making sure that she was not being observed by neighbors, Natasha peered closely at the eaves and the seals of the windows to see if she could detect cameras. Satisfied that she could not, she turned and slowly walked away. When she was almost out of view, she turned and looked back one last time.

Bucky sat on his bed and scratched Sébastien’s head.

“What was she doing here?” he asked the black kitten. “Did she really think I’d make those cameras obvious?”

He meowed as if to say, ‘No.’

Bucky did not know what to do. He wanted to be with Natasha, but she always had to have things on her terms – and her terms meant being in control. It also meant he could not keep Sébastien.

‘If only she weren’t so unyielding,’ he thought. ‘If only she would meet me halfway.’

When Sébastien began to lick Bucky’s face, the screen on the assassin’s cell phone lit up as it lay in silent mode on his work table.

Picking it up, he saw that he just received a text message from Natasha.

 **BigRed:** SoldierBoy, we need to talk.

Not knowing what to say, he did not respond immediately. He gave it some thought and decided he was not ready to return to her apartment just yet. Deciding it was time to set up parameters, he considered the situation for five minutes and then replied.

 **SoldierBoy:** On neutral ground. Will be in touch.

After sending the text, Bucky made a phone call to set up a place for them to talk. It was somewhere they would both feel comfortable and neither would have the upper hand.

Next, he texted the location and time to Natasha, went to shower, and then dressed. He appeared calm on the outside but inside was a bundle of nerves.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Bucky approached his Harley Sporster and securely strapped Sébastien’s pet carrier onto the bitch seat before he straddled it and drove toward the East River.

It was not long before he parked his bike on a wide street and walked around the corner. He was careful not to let anyone see him as he squatted behind a bush next to the front door of an apartment building. 

As a young woman with long blonde hair approached and opened the locked front door, Bucky stepped out from behind the bush and walked into the foyer behind her.

“Oh! You startled me,” she said.

“Sorry about that,” he replied, “I seem to have lost my key.”

“No worries,” she said. “I always do that. Are you new here?”

“Yeah, I just moved in two days ago,” he said.

“Cool! Well, I have to go, but don’t make a stranger of yourself,” she said to the dashing young man as she began to climb the stairs.

“Oh, I won’t,” the assassin promised. 

When the woman was halfway to the landing, she turned and asked, “So, what’s your name, new guy?”

“It’s Jim,” Bucky said.

“Nice to meet you, Jim! I’m Teresa. I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah…see ya!”

When Teresa was out of sight, Bucky looked around to make sure no one was observing him. He removed the brown box from within his leather jacket and placed it on the floor under the bank of mailboxes. Then, he taped a device to the doorbell of the box’s recipient. It was a wire connected to a small microchip.

Making sure that the box was placed conspicuously, he walked to the front door. Once outside, he glanced around to again ensure that no one was watching him before returning to a squatting position behind the dense bush.

The assassin pulled out his cell phone, launched an app, and typed in a code which remotely activated the microchip that he taped to the recipient’s doorbell. When the chip received the code, it sent a pulse through the tiny wire, which in turn rang the bell.

“Hello?” said the recipient.

When there was no answer, the recipient hung up the phone.

The assassin again typed in the code, and once again the recipient answered.

Finally, the recipient became annoyed and went down to the foyer to see if someone was there.

The recipient looked around and saw no one, and then gazed down at the box which bore the recipient’s last name in large, black letters.

Bucky watched as the recipient picked it up. Luckily, instead of going back upstairs, the recipient remained in the foyer while opening the outer brown box and pulling the blue jewelry box from inside it.

Smiling at the jewelry box, the recipient opened it which triggered the mechanism inside and caused the homemade blast cap to erupt. The neon green powder exploded in a shower from hairline to chest.

Startled by the blast, the recipient screamed and dropped both boxes on the floor. After a few moments of gagging and coughing, the recipient looked down at the brown box and saw that a note had fallen out of it.

The recipient bent down, picked up the note, and read it very carefully.

            _Clint:  If you ever tell stories about me to Gambit again, I’ll blow your freaking head off! –-_ _Barnes_

“I’m gonna kill that Cajun!” Hawkeye sneered as he looked down at the box which bore one word on it:

            **BARTON**

From his hiding place, Bucky snapped a photo of Hawkeye covered in the green powder. Satisfied that he had gotten even and made his point, he returned to his bike, started the engine, and drove to his meeting place with Natasha.

*  *  *  *  *  *

As Bucky waited for his rendezvous with Natasha, he decided to send a text to Gambit.

 **SoldierBoy:** Hey, man. Thanks again for inviting me to the school.

 **SaintsFan:** No worries, cher! You’re always welcome there.

 **SoldierBoy:** Nice to know that. How did it go with Storm after we left?

 **SaintsFan:** She tore me a new one! I won’t sit for a week.

 **SoldierBoy:** Sorry to hear that! She loves you and will get over it. Hey, I thought you’d enjoy this photo.

                               [he uploads and sends the photo of Hawkeye covered in green powder.]

 **SaintsFan:** LMFAO! You got him good.

 **SoldierBoy:** He had it coming.

 **SaintsFan:** How are things with Big Red?

 **SoldierBoy:** She’s on her way over to talk. Will keep you posted. Thanks for telling her to get in touch and where to find the school.

 **SaintsFan:** You’re welcome, but I didn’t tell her where to find the school.

 **SoldierBoy:** Hmm...okay...thanks. [He realizes that Natasha had lied to him.]

 **SaintsFan:** What’s wrong?

 **SoldierBoy:** Will tell you later. Thanks again, man. You’re a real friend.

 **SaintsFan:** My pleasure. Take care.

 **SoldierBoy:** You too.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Three hours after Bucky texted her back, Natasha arrived right on time at Steve’s apartment. When she rang the doorbell, he opened it.

“Good morning, ‘Tasha,” he said as he walked past her heading toward his Harley motorcycle which was parked outside.

As he straddled the bike, she said, “Steve?”

“I’m not involved, ‘Tasha. He’s inside,” he replied and then started the bike’s engine. 

She watched him ride down the street and turn a corner.

“Neutral ground my ass,” she said as she stepped inside the apartment and closed the door.

She could not help but feel that even though it was not her apartment or Bucky’s, somehow he still had the upper hand since it was the home of his best friend.

Not surprisingly, when she entered the living room, she found Bucky sitting on Steve’s sofa watching his favorite show – a news program. In his lap lay little Sébastien.

“So, is this round three over the cat?” she asked mockingly.

“It doesn’t have to be,” he replied not looking away from the TV.

She walked over and took the remote control from him. Pressing the Off button, she sat on the other end of the sofa.

“I don’t see why you’re being so headstrong about this, James. It’s just a cat,” she said.

Turning to look at her, he stressed, “No, it’s NOT _‘just a cat.’_ It’s about the cat and what it represents.”

“And that is...?” she asked.

“It represents control, Natasha. You control practically everything in my life, and I haven’t complained. Why can’t you let me have this?” he begged.

She thought for a moment after seeing how passionate his plea was.

“I guess I didn’t realize how attached you were. I thought it was just a phase you were going through. I mean, honestly, I know what’s best for you, and –”

“Do you? I think you _think_ you do!” he challenged.

“That’s not what I mean,” she said becoming frustrated.

“It is! You’re smothering me and you don’t care.”

“How can you _say_ that, James?” Natasha demanded.

“You’ve got to let me breathe, Nat. You’ve got to let me be my own man.”

“Oh, is _that_ what this is about?” she snapped. “What? You think I emasculate you? You think I dominate you?” she asked.

“Yes. Yes, I do!” he yelled, and as soon as he did, he wished that he had not.

From outside the door, they heard an elderly woman ask, “Steve? What’s going on in there? Is everything all right?”

“It’s Bucky, Mrs. Flannigan. Everything’s fine. It’s just the TV. I’ll turn it down,” he said.

“Well, all right then. You boys should change the channel. Whoever you’re watching is having a terrible argument,” she advised.

“Will do, Mrs. F,” he replied.

Natasha ignored the motherly woman and stared at Bucky in horror.

“Oh, good lord. You think I’m a shrew!” she said.

“This isn’t about _you,_ Nat. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. It’s about _me_ and what _I_  need,” he insisted. “I need you to give me some space. I need you to stop eclipsing me and treating me like you’re ashamed to be seen with me.”

“I don’t understand why you think that,” said Natasha.

Taking a deep breath, Bucky said, “It’s because we’re never seen together, Nat. We live at _your_  place and when we go out, it’s never with people we know. I need to know why,” he insisted.

Finally breaking down, she said, “It’s because I know how people treat you, James! Some people look at you and they see a traitor – a man who committed crimes against his own country. They don’t believe that you were brainwashed. They want you behind bars, and I don’t want you to suffer that indignity. So, if it means hiding you away in my apartment, then I’ll do it. I just don’t want you hurt.”

Admitting it made her physically weak, so she bowed her head and covered her face with her hands.

Bucky was fully aware of what people thought of him. Over the years, he mastered the art of ignoring it. However, he had no idea that was why she seemed to hide him from others.

“You need to come home, James.”

As much as it pained him to do so, he said, “Not without parameters.”

After a long pause, she said, “Okay...?”

“This kitten needs me, and I need him. We’re a package deal. So, if you want me back, we now have a cat.”

Feeling tired and defeated, she replied, “All right.”

“There’s more,” he informed her.

Natasha wanted to roll her eyes but stopped herself.

“What else?” she asked.

“I want to go out with you,” he said.

“James, we _are_ going out,” she reminded him.

“No. I mean I want to be seen with you by people we know – someone other than just Steve.”

Natasha sighed and said, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Bucky stared at her without speaking.

Finally, Natasha agreed.

“All right! If that’s what you want but I’m telling you, you’ll probably be uncomfortable.”

“Nat, I’m a big boy! When I was 16 years old, I led men into battle during World War II. I lived for twenty years before I met you. If things get uncomfortable, let _me_  worry about it,” he insisted.

“My better judgment tells me not to ask, but is there anything else?”

“Yeah...I wanna be on top,” he confessed.

“Now you’re _really_ pressing your luck, James,” she said half jokingly.

Disappointed, Bucky said, “Well, I had to try.”

Standing, she said, “Let’s go home.”

Bucky rose from the sofa and walked toward Steve’s kitchen. As he passed Natasha, she stuck her tongue out at Sébastien who was resting on the assassin’s right shoulder.

To her dismay, the kitten made a face as if he were hissing at her but did not make a sound.

Bucky placed the cat in his pet carrier which he had placed next to Steve’s washer and dryer. He put on his leather jacket and picked up the carrier with his right hand. On his way to the front door, he picked up his duffle bag with is left.

Looking at the bag, Natasha asked, “So, you were coming home all along?”

“Well, I was 90 percent sure that I would,” he confessed.

She shook her head and said, “I just got hustled. Great.”

“We started making progress today. Let’s not spoil it, babe. Come on. I’ll follow you on my bike,” he said.

Bucky opened the door and allowed Natasha to exit first. He turned off the lights and locked the door behind him.

As they passed Mrs. Flannigan’s apartment, she opened her door and said, “You leaving so soon, Bucky? I’m glad you turned off the TV. That was one heck of a fight!”

Smiling, he said, “Yes, it was Mrs. F, but everything’s going to turn out just fine.”


	12. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Natasha make a fresh start.

When the assassin and the spy entered her apartment, Bucky let Sébastien out of his carrier to run freely.

He then took his duffle bag into the bedroom and started to unpack. 

As he removed his clothing, he found something at the bottom of the bag that he had never seen before. It was a package of Mingda body paint crayons.

“Where did this come from?” he asked as Natasha entered the room.

Smirking, she replied, “Your friend the Cajun gave it to me at the school. He said it was a gift.”

“Oh, is _this_ what you were hiding under your shirt?” the observant assassin asked.

“Yes, it is, Mr. Nosy!” she said.

“But I can’t draw.”

“They’re not for _me,_ silly. They’re for _you!_ – for sense therapy,” she said snatching the package from him. “He said that if I draw on you, it would give you tactile stimulation and pleasure. So...how about we give it a try?”

Grinning ear-to-ear, the touch-starved assassin quickly began to disrobe.

Natasha laughed at how eager he was.

“What are you waiting for, girl? Get your clothes off and start drawing!” he commanded.

Lying on the bed, Bucky flinched frequently as Natasha drew hearts, flowers, stars and swirls of different colors on his body.

“Hold still!” she admonished him.

“I can’t help it! It tickles and I like it,” he said giggling.

From his collarbone to his toes, Natasha slowly, gently drew on the front of his body making sure to cover practically every inch of his quivering physique.

“Do you want me to stop?” she asked at one point.

“Hell no!” he replied as he savored the touch of the crayons.

“I’ve never seen these before. I wonder where Gambit got them,” the Widow said absentmindedly.

“There’s a girl in New Orleans. She runs a sex shop. He gets all kinds of things from her.”

Natasha abruptly stopped drawing.

“What were you doing in a sex shop, James?” she asked disapprovingly.

“I didn’t go there. _He_ did,” Bucky replied hoping she would continue drawing.

“Oh...” she said as she began to draw stars above his penis.

As it quickly became erect, she placed the crayons on the nightstand and straddled him guiding his rigid cock into her.

Just as she began to thrust her hips, Bucky suddenly rolled her over so that he was on top.

Startled, she yelped, “James! What are you doing?”

“We agreed it would be _my_ turn,” he advised.

“I don’t recall agreeing to any such thing,” she declared.

“Well, it’s too late now,” he said as he began to pump her. “Who knows? You might just like it.”

Natasha soon found that Bucky was right.

As he drove himself deeper into her, she realized how much more exhilarating and satisfying the sex was when she let him participate.  

When they came, it was the most invigorating orgasm either of them had had in ages.

They lay intertwined for a while before he slid out of her and rolled onto the bed.

“That was amazing, James,” Natasha confessed.

“You could have had that every night if you hadn’t been so bossy,” he joked.

_“Now,_ who’s spoiling the mood?” she asked jabbing him in his right side.

He put his right arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. The two lay silent for a long time thinking about all the time they wasted arguing.

Finally breaking the silence, he casually asked, “Nat? Did you know that bottles of nail polish have a little bead at the bottom so that when you shake them, it mixes the polish?”

Looking confused, she replied, “No, I didn’t know that. I’ve never worn nail polish in my life. How would _you_ know that?"

He realized that he could not tell her that he learned it while in New Orleans working at Madame Celeste’s House of Celestial Dreams. So, he told a little white lie of his own.

“Steve told me he heard that from Sharon,” he claimed.

“Hmm…” she replied.

Changing the subject, she looked at their colorful, sweaty bodies and the streaks of crayon which transferred onto the bedding.

“You owe me a new set of sheets,” she said.

“To hell with the sheets,” he said. “I’m gonna owe you a new bed once we break _this_ one!”

They laughed and kissed tenderly, then fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Bucky felt satisfied with the progress he had made toward being his own man and could not have been more pleased that he did not lose Natasha in the process. He had his girl and his beloved cat, Sébastien. For the assassin, life was starting to look up.

 

**To be continued in _“Weekend in Bed.”_**


End file.
